


The Princess and the Thief

by LinaLuthor



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bandits & Outlaws, Childhood Friends, Childhood Trauma, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, The Blade Breakers as a troupe of robbers, Thief Byleth, maybe smut later on, why being mercenaries if they can be thieves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:41:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 269,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24357487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinaLuthor/pseuds/LinaLuthor
Summary: Byleth Eisner was the youngest thief to be part of the Blade Breakers, yet very important to the group. Even at eleven, she knew enough combat to defend herself and had already helped her fellow robbers out of very bad situations. When her merry band of thieves get to Enbarr and have the brilliant idea to pillage the Palace, she is for once excited about the mission for some unknown reason and ends up rescuing a young Princess Edelgard from being whisked away to the Kingdom against her will.They remain together for a while, until circumstances make them part ways. However, when they meet again too many years later on another one of Byleth's missions, the thief can't help but wonder why that young woman is so familiar to her.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 253
Kudos: 441





	1. An Impromptu Rescue

It had started as any other plan, any other mission. Someone in their merry band would have what at first sounded like a crazy idea, mostly when said person was completely drunk after too much cheap wine. The others would laugh, Jeralt being the loudest and most wasted of the entire group. However, as soon as the last snicker died, they would exchange glances and actually wonder if the feat was feasible and, the most important part, how rich they would be after such endeavor.

So when a particularly talented mage had suggested the Blade Breakers should take the opportunity of their camp being so near the walls of Enbarr, the Imperial Capital, and ransack the Palace, that was exactly what followed. Raucous laughs and sneers, as if that had been the most amazing joke in the entire world. Then silence, while inquisitive glances were thrown around their small fire, beers and wine bottles being passed as well. Until another person asked the obvious question that had guided them towards some sort of thief stardom, if there ever was one: Why not?

Byleth watched the entire exchange with her usually neutral expression. She had eaten as much roasted fish as her eleven-year-old body could muster and even had something funny to drink, sneaked to her by a fellow robber when her father was already beyond gone and would never notice. The beverage had no effect on her whatsoever and she was completely hung on their words. Pillaging the Enbarr Palace… that did sound like a challenge, but then those crazy ideas always did at first, until plans were devised and everything went smoothly.

The girl couldn’t remember a time they had failed and she had seen them do a lot of robbing around Fódlan, from the barren, cold lands of Faerghus to the different dukedoms of the Leicester Alliance. They had been rolling in money since they stepped foot into Imperial lands, half a year ago, and conducted successful pillage after successful pillage in several different territories: Hrym, which had been unprotected to begin with and barely counted as a victory, Bergliez and finally Aegir.

There had been talk about them going north towards Varley, Hevring, Arundel and perhaps the Oghma mountains. They were supposed to take that decision the next day, but apparently that would no longer be a thing. She turned around and studied their excited faces at the prospect of going into the city in the morning, as they usually did, gathering information on the palace layout and defense lines before actually raiding it.

Their heightened feelings didn’t reach her, though. They never had and since these people had watched her grow up, they were no longer scared of her demeanor. It was a part of the kid who had saved them from one too many tight spots with nothing but a dagger, a stone in hands or discarded swords many inches taller than her. She had even heard some names for her outside of the usual, tender nickname that was thrown around the camp. One of them, _Ashen Demon_ , had a certain ring to it that she didn’t despise. Rather, it enticed her curiosity in a way few things had ever done.

“We should go sleep off this booze and get ready for the start of our grand party tomorrow. The Imperial royalty will be penniless by the end of this month.” Jeralt announced in a grand voice, earning cheers from their comrades. They stood up in unsteady gaits and she followed, jumping to her feet and offering a stabilizing arm to some of them.

“Ah thank you, little Thief Princess.” A woman smiled in her inebriated state, using the main pet name for Byleth. She took a moment to gather her balance and dragged herself away from the fire, towards the previously assorted tents.

“Kiddo, we might be swimming in money this time. Actually swimming in it.” Her father said from somewhere beside her, a hand on her bony shoulder. She turned around; one look at him was all she needed to know he wouldn’t be making it back to bed by himself.

She laced an arm around his waist and took a first step forward, prompting him to do the same. They were both used to this dynamic and it was easy for him to accompany her to the biggest tent, then haphazardly sit down on the floor while giggling at his poor state.

“Ah, what would I do without you.” Jeralt whispered in a thankful tone, eyes already closing even if he had yet to lie down.

She hurried up and so he could be tucked under covers before he actually fell asleep and nodded to herself when a soft snore escaped his gaping mouth. Mission accomplished, her dad was safe and she was free to go to her own place without having to make sure he wouldn’t trip somewhere or end up trying to barge into Enbarr by nighttime. They were somewhat close to the walls and one could never underestimate the will of a drunk man when gold was involved.

The girl rolled from her knees to the balls of her feet and stretched her entire body to a standing position, then ambled away after sparing Jeralt a last look. His cheeks were rosy and there was a silly, open-mouthed smile on his face, which meant everything was fine and he was probably dreaming with something nice. Her own tent was right next to his and, since she was a light sleeper, she would hear it if her help was further needed.

Looking around the camp, she noted how everyone was already gone and the whereabouts were submerged in rare silence. The fire would die in a few hours and plunge them in the full darkness of that odd forest which stood in the foot of the Morgaine Ravine. Even now she was barely able to discern some treetops or the sky above them, though some stars were visible and gave her some sense of direction.

Deciding there was nothing else for her to do and that her help wouldn’t be needed, Byleth did go to her small tent, the smallest in the entire camp, and lay down on the floor itself, pulling her myriad of blankets tight around her. Jeralt wasn’t a man of many words, though the same could be said about her, but he expressed his love for her in other forms, such as granting her the best comforters and daggers – especially once he had seen her use one to perfection even before being instructed.

He had begun teaching her how to fight five years ago, when she had picked a dagger by mistake and actually saved his life from a surprise attack. After that he decided his little girl would never thrive in between bandits if she didn’t know how to defend herself. To his complete surprise, though somehow a part of him had expected that from her due to her uncanny behavior since birth, she proved to be a more than capable fighter even at such an age. Thus his lessons became something any other child would consider rough as the years went by – even more so after she beat him in swords at age seven.

She glanced up at the tent and had a brief image of herself breaking into the Enbarr palace. Somehow that idea was very tempting, more so than any of their missions insofar, and she was mildly shaken as… some anticipation, maybe, ran through her. What was that? Perhaps she was sick; it was too uncommon for her to get caught up in the team’s excitement. Or… was she really turning into a grownup already?

Dismissing the notion, she rolled into her side and closed her eyes, hoping a good night of sleep would fix that aberration. 

It was interesting how the Blade Breakers’ drunken motivation wasn’t done with as soon as they got sobered up at some point in the next afternoon. Rather, once that alcohol-induced stupor was cleared from their minds, it seemed they were even more into the plan as before, when it was hollered and acclaimed with raucous laughter.

Their preparations began by everyone sitting down in a circle and spreading up a map of Enbarr they had recently acquired in a heist. It was made of leather instead of parchment, diverse placements actually embroidered in it and making everything look way more colorful and grandiose than it probably was.

Byleth sat beside her father and listened to their exchange while noting important places shown in the map. The Mittelfrank Opera company, for one, was highly detailed for some reason. There were also some marketplaces, a central plaza and a few buildings that apparently deserved attention. She frowned the slightest when these were almost ignored by the adults, as their words reflected how fixated they seemed to be on the palace itself.

Sure, so that was their end goal and it wouldn’t be good if they made too many stops around the city to get supplements, but could they really hope to succeed on their mission without some food, better weapons and extra money? Ok, they had their own convoy and a pile of armory that mostly went unused or found its way to a dealer’s hand, but still. This operation seemed extra tough to be taken as lightly as when they raided the almost abandoned Hrym territory.

“We’ll need to get some idea on the palace layout itself.” Jeralt said at last, when it seemed like their planning was done for. Byleth thought they were leaving too much to chance, but wasn’t one to actually denounce it. They hadn’t gotten as far as they had due to a little girl’s criticism. “So perhaps our next step is getting in there and doing a bit of scouting.”

“Some of us can disguise as servants, they wouldn’t notice one or two extras anyways. These nobles don’t know their own from outsiders.” One piped in, uttering their usual way of getting to know the terrain or housing they were about to raid.

“We can go.” A woman volunteered, raising her hand and her grumpy twin’s. They were known as the most attentive members of the Blade Breakers, being able to draw exquisitely detailed maps after only a few minutes spent in a place. And eerily enough, they were mostly never wrong save from the location of a chair or table. “We’ll go at once and procure uniforms, then do some rounds and so on. Expect us to be back in two days maximum.”

“That’d be good. Do treat yourselves to something nice, though. You deserve it from a job well done.” Byleth’s father said in an affectionate tone. He saw their band of thieves as more of a big, dysfunctional family than the coworkers they were supposed to be. It was easy for the girl to do so, too. She had grown up with them around her, after all.

Mila and Markos, the twins, saluted him with a mock bow and turned to leave, walking away from the forest and towards the cement path that led to the sprawling city of Enbarr.

“As for the rest of us, let’s check our stacks and see what would be useful for us to take there. It is the Imperial Palace, so we should not take security lightly, though we depend on their report to know for sure. Maybe we are still dealing with a bunch of lazy snobs who think they’re safe beyond all measure.”

That made them boisterously laugh – the bandits had lost count of how many people they had almost scared to death, since nobles tended to rely too much on guards who had grown soft over time. In peacetime security tended to slack and a lot, especially if there were no smaller conflicts with neighboring lands as well – there was a huge possibility they would meet little resistance all things considered.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful. Which is why, when Jeralt asked her to come along and help him, she went straight for the silver weapons, elixirs and the best equipment she could find for others. For herself, she selected smaller swords that had been custom made and the sturdiest dagger on the pile.

“Hoa there kid, getting ready for a full-blown war? We don’t need that much stuff, or the good deal.” He pried a silver lance from her hand before she could even lift it from the pile. When she gave him a thoughtful, slightly reproachful stare; he was surprised by how intense it was.

“T’is more serious than our usual missions.” She said in a resolute voice, which surprised him since she wasn’t one for many words – or glares to be completely honest.

“And why do you say so? It’ll just be like most times, we’ll go in, terrorize some snobs and get out a lot richer than before. Nothing new.” He patted her head, attempting to lighten the mood even if her reaction made some chills run up and down his spine.

She simply nodded and shrugged, clearly giving up trying to explain her reasoning – though there wasn’t actually an explanation to it. It was simply something she felt inside herself, as strange as that bout of excitement that had taken her over last night. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though the idea of having new impulses running through her body was uncanny and not at all welcome. Hopefully it was just something related to that damned palace and would be gone as soon as they were as many miles away from Enbarr as they could.

Just as predicted, the twins were back even before two days had passed. They sprawled on the floor with rolls of parchment and pens they owned and got to work, speaking occasionally in whispers to make sure they could get details in check. Once they looked at each other and nodded, the rest of the bandits knew it was time to sit down and listen to their findings.

“Ok so this will be a little bit harder than we predicted. Their security is stacked and they don’t slack off at all, either by day or night.” Markos spoke up, which was rare since he usually left this part to his chattier sister. “Our cover was almost blown too, they know who belongs and who doesn’t. So all of us going in like that is a complete no already.”

“Fortunately only the royal family is in the palace as of now, though we did see a carriage arriving the moment we were way beyond the gates.” Mila grimaced, wondering if that would prove to be more troublesome for them. “The Emperor usually spends his days locked in his office, which is on the second floor. I only saw him during dinner and some nights he wasn’t there at all. Whenever the Ministers came to talk with him they weren’t out and about the place either.

“There are ten children total, ranging from seventeen to four. They’re often with some tutor or another, save from the eldest daughter who accompanies their father. Their rooms are on the third floor by the left, whereas the Emperor’s and his consorts’ quarters are to the right.” She pointed on her drawings to signal what she was saying. As always, it was surprising how many details there were in the parchment, from where windows were located in hallways to interesting paintings on the walls.

“Even if they keep to themselves and it gets really boring and silent in there during the day, a nighttime heist sounds better.” Markos went on. “First, because there are some woods around the castle that we can use to get closer to it. Then it’ll be easy to climb the walls and get in. We should try entering close to the stables instead of the gardens.” He showed them the two areas and there were grunts of agreement around. “Less chance of us being seen.”

“As for riches… well, we didn’t actually find a vault, but there’re some stairs leading underground from behind the throne, weirdly enough. It’s a trap door, but not hard to open at all. We couldn’t check what was there, there was always someone barking orders at once. Never thought I’d clean up so many chamber pots in one day.” Her irked face made them laugh. “There’re some amazing paintings here and there that’d be worth a fortune but once people are notified the palace was stolen I don’t think anyone would wanna buy them. So I’d say we should stick to weapons, jewelry from the consorts and some cash that we find lying around.”

“The kids might have some stuff too. Princes and princesses are always spoiled rotten.” Jeralt suggested and that was received with emphatic nods. “Just make sure to not hurt them, or else we’ll have the entire Imperial army after us.”

“I mean, there’s a chance they’ll be there anyways.” A mage tittered, a fire spell playfully rolling in between her palms. “I’ll be ready to stun them if it’s the case.”

“Maybe it’d be good if we had a distraction, to be honest. It’d be easier to draw their attention to the opposite side of where we want to raid, then lead them outside of the palace gates and away from our escape route.” Markos piped in, cracking his knuckles. “I wouldn’t mind punching some stupid noble who called me scum of the earth.”

Ideas and strategies were thrown around and eventually a consensus was reached. Luckily they had worked together for too many years to count and knew exactly how to get around conflicts. They were indeed like a big family, one who had learned to deal with most of its members in order to create a peaceful, enjoyable environment. But then, it was hard to not cooperate when they shared a goal of getting rich and having some fun in between.

When the sun was almost halfway through the sky, the Blade Breakers dispersed. They would enter Enbarr in small groups in order to not raise suspicion, then make their way around the city and slowly encroach into the forest. Then, they would convene very close to the palace walls and proceed with the invasion. For that, three people maximum would create a distraction with magic and brawling, in a way that would make the soldiers focus on the left side of the place, whereas the others made their way in and ransacked to their hearts’ content.

Although Byleth had separated some armor and weapons for herself earlier own, it was only when Jeralt beckoned her to follow that she understood she was actually in the mission. It was a given that her prowess was something to be admired and a lot to brag about, yet it wasn’t always that she was formally included in raids. However, her father was smart enough to know that, were she to be left behind, she would simply devise her own way to tag along, as she had managed to do so and ended up saving them in too many occasions to count.

She went into Enbarr with the second group, a little after noon, her small hand cradled in Jeralt’s as he conducted her past the badly monitored city gates. Her other hand was held by Aradia, their best mage, a woman who often paraded as Byleth’s mother whenever there was a need for such role plays and that had actually helped raise her a lot. She had taught the child her first spells at age six, even if the Captain wasn’t so keen on it, and by now she was proficient in Fire, Bolganone (something that surprised even her tutor) and some basic healing. Magic took her longer to master, but she wasn’t lousy at it by any means.

Their little portrait of a happy family was so convincing the guards actually beamed as they passed and told them to have a nice day; one even suggested they stopped by the food market for some freshly baked treats “for the little lady”. Jeralt and Aradia kept their façade for no more than two minutes before they started laughing, partially amused by how easy it was to fool the soldiers supposed to be watching over the Imperial capital, as well as due to a certain anxiety, related to their upcoming mission.

No matter how many times the cycle of having an idea, planning, getting to know the grounds, wearing a disguise of sorts and finally attacking had repeated itself, there was always some nervousness at each new endeavor. After all, robbing was all fun and games until someone got too hurt or a friend’s life was claimed – that was the risk they put themselves into every day, every time they broke into a house, mansion, store, watchtower or castle and proceeded to wreak havoc.

The grownups kept some uninteresting conversation on what to do with all the money they would get, or where they wanted to pillage first. Byleth was rarely enraptured by such dialogues, but in that day there was something else keeping her aloof. Her eyes couldn’t focus on what was going on around her and were drawn to the palace as if it were impossible or unnecessary to glance anywhere else. Usually she would try keeping score of the terrain and how the streets wound this way and that, important information if one needed to devise a last-minute escape route. In that rather balmy afternoon, however, she was for once distracted, her steps faster than her father’s as an eerie sensation edged her forward and urged her to take action.

Take action… for what? Against whom? Those questions had no answer nor reason to them, no more than the fact her indigo irises were taken by the Enbarr Palace and not in a way that allowed her to closely, analytically study the architecture in search of windows, hiding spots or footholds. It only got worse the closer they got to it, even when they finally entered the small woods set around the city and the building became hardly visible in between treetops.

It took them a few minutes to gather with the other two who had already gone in and reached the meeting spot, marked by some old lances that had been affixed to the ground and lit. Now all they had to do was stand idle until the rest of the team arrived and night came, so their strike could begin.

Waiting proved to be worse than moving around. The palace walls were mere steps away from Byleth, who time and again would mindlessly walk there and even start climbing by herself until someone would either reprimand or make a joke about her being too eager. It got to a point that Jeralt himself took her away from it and sat her down, then turned rarely stern eyes to her.

“What’s got into you today, hm? I’ve never seen you that motivated or excited before.” He asked, his tone lighter than his gaze, somewhat concerned as well. It really wasn’t like her to be that hyped up about their usual trade.

She simply shrugged, unsure herself of what was going on – or rather, what had been going on ever since the idea of raiding the Enbarr Palace had been presented. Could it be this place held some importance to her? And honestly, what did it matter? She was… a thief’s daughter. There was no future for her out of continuing that family tradition. What other way of living would there be for her? She couldn’t name one and didn’t care to, regardless.

It was a foolish mental exercise to wonder about the future. So perhaps she was acting a bit weird about the whole thing, yes. It still wouldn’t change the fact she would get in there, steal whatever she thought her father might approve of and then get out, just as she had done many, many times already.

And if there were some fighting to be done, well, then she would attend to that as well. Nothing uncommon, nothing new, no reason to get excited and want to get it over with as soon as possible.

No matter how many times she kept telling herself that in order to stay put and not make anyone more suspicious of her behavior, when everyone eventually gathered and the lances were snuffed out since night had fallen, she could not deny her chest squeezed in a different, scary way.

The feeling became worse when they started marching and climbing the walls in different points and with some interval in between them, as it would be rather easy to notice about twenty-five people going in all at once. Maybe as a punishment for her earlier behavior, Byleth was ordered to hold back and stand in place by Jeralt himself, who eyed her with interest.

Finally they were the only two left outside. Soon enough the diversion would begin and the thieves would go do what they loved the most. She extended a hand to touch the cool rocky wall, yet was stopped by her father’s fingers lacing her forearm.

“Now kiddo, don’t hate me for it, but you’ll have to stay out of this one. You’re too important to me and I’d rather not risk you in some heist that could very well go wrong and have us all locked up. You’re just a kid and I’d hate seeing you behind bars.” He stopped for a moment as her eyes narrowed to slits, clearly displaying her fury. Had she ever looked at him like that before? “Listen, I’m sure we’ll need a new escape route or backup plan – I’m counting on you to devise these.

“Keep watch here and if I see your shadow inside that palace I’ll have to leave you behind in some way or another during our next mission. Did I make myself clear?” Although she nodded, her irises were still burning and he was sure he’d be disobeyed the moment he turned around.

Nevertheless, he sighed and went on his way, sparing her a last glance before turning around the corner and starting on the wall. She ogled until he was no longer visible and noisily sat down, arms crossed. Why had she been taken there to begin with if it wasn’t Jeralt’s intention to let her participate? Ok, it wasn’t always that she accompanied the Blade Breakers in their missions, but recently it had become more and more frequent for her to do so.

She knew they wouldn’t need cover or a different way to back out – her father wasn’t one to take his team on heists that would end badly for them. Fine, so raiding the Enbarr palace did mean there was a probability that things would get awry, but they hadn’t become famous thieves by cowering and contenting themselves to unprotected houses and forgotten castles. And how many times hadn’t Byleth’s intervention saved their sorry lives too?

It felt weird to go against his words, though. Had she ever defied orders like that, except for the first time she had taken up a sword and fought an enemy five times her size? She didn’t remember, but supposed it didn’t matter anyways. There was _something_ in the palace that had clearly caught her attention and she would rather get an earful from her father than never find out what it was.

That was why, a few minutes after Jeralt had been gone, she jumped to her feet and climbed the walls. She was nimble and arrived on the top just in time to hear a fire spell going off, as well as some alarmed screams from the eastern side of the place. It was indeed time to raid.

Byleth vaulted and descended a few inches, deeming the distance agreeable for her to let go and fall. She landed on her feet, bending her knees to better absorb the impact, and wasted no time looking around the deserted, darkened stables that housed a few well-cared for horses. The animals barely looked at her when she dropped, which was good since they could have neighed loudly in fear at her sudden appearance.

She found a door and tried it, then opened it as swiftly and silently as she could before easing herself inside. Although the interior was made of the same silvery, cold stone than the gates and pretty much all of Enbarr, at least it was warmer indoors with so many lit torches around, adorning the walls and casting soft light around them. She tried remembering Markos’s and Mila’s map and realized she was somewhat close to the kitchen.

Where would she go, though? Before she could even finish thinking that question, her ears were alerted to incoming footsteps and she darted in their opposite direction, not wanting to stay around and determine whether they belonged to friend or foe. Her shoes made no sound as they touched the cold floor, something she was thankful for since she didn’t want to let others know of her presence. She had half a mind to open some of the many doors in each side of the hallway she was running down, but decided it would be better if she kept going and found some stairs.

Her wish was granted as soon as she reached the end of the corridor. Her expression was serene as her feet reached the steps and she climbed them two at a time, then stopped and stood still, listening. There were no more sounds of other people running, at least not downstairs. Deciding it was best to stay safe regardless, she went up another floor and did the same thing, eyes widening when she heard voices nearby.

It sounded like a fallout of sorts, yet she was too far away to make out actual words. There was a man, his tone deep and slightly peeved, and a child with a shrilly, scared voice. Somehow that made Byleth curious and she followed that to its source, realizing too late she was at the section of the palace where the children’s rooms were located.

And sure enough, after a few seconds she was peeking inside a partially opened door, to a scene that made something akin to anger stir inside her.

She had been right about the characters involved in that argument. There was a tall, somewhat slender man who wore silky, regal robes. His hair was long and dark brown, or at least so it seemed under the candlelight around the rather spacious quarter. He stood next to a big mattress and a half full chest, his expression stern, violet eyes gleaming and unforgivable, made ominous with that luminescence.

The other one was a girl, smaller and more than likely younger than Byleth herself. She wore a crimson dress and white stockings, her brownish hair stuck in pigtails. Her face was pale and scared, lilac irises wide in something that looked like fear.

“But Uncle, no, I do not want to go to the Kingdom! You cannot make me.” The girl screeched, though there was no defiance left in her expression anymore. The little thief wondered for how long that discussion had been going on. “I am sure my father would not approve either.”

“Alas, I have already spoken to your father and he consented. Now stop this nonsense and do your packing at once so we can go, Edelgard. The sooner we are out of here, the better.” The man answered, his voice growing bored and threatening – that did not look good at all.

“I did not see my siblings getting ready to leave.” She protested, miffed. “I shall remain with them and this is final.”

“I do not have time for this! Either you come with me nicely, or I will have to employ other, nastier methods to get you to comply and I did not intend to hurt you –“

“The lady said no!”

Byleth had no idea exactly what came over her in that instant. It wasn’t like her to interfere like that, nor to feel so riled up by a situation that had nothing to do with her whatsoever. She was supposed to be pillaging, not saving little girls from their own family issues.

Yet there had been something at that man’s demeanor, plus the way he had threatened the kid – and who did that, anyway? – that she couldn’t afford to ignore. That was why she yelled that after bolting into the room, dagger in hand, and slashed at his wrist just as he took a few steps forward and grabbed the smaller girl by her forearm.

The man yelled in pain and edged away, pawing at his wound to try stopping the bleeding. Byleth used that moment to hold the girl’s hand and yank her away from the quarters in a dash, before the noble could recover from his surprise and go after them.

“Who are you and where are you taking me?” The girl almost screamed, stumbling as she had trouble keeping up with her savior.

The thief didn’t answer, since she had absolutely no idea what to do as well, just that she had to get the kid away from her uncle before he could actually hurt her. She ran faster than ever, adrenaline pulsing through her body and blood roaring in her head. What to do, what to do… She hadn’t really intended to save that girl, so she was lost in what her course of action should be.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her companion did finally trip and almost send them both falling. Byleth skidded to a halt and held both of her arms so she wouldn’t overbalance, then picked her up in the next second as if she weighted nothing. Their eyes briefly met, calculating indigo and terrified lilac, and the thief found herself doing something she couldn’t remember ever doing before.

She smiled, a curt, unpracticed gesture meant to reassure the little one that things would be fine. The girl’s body relaxed the slightest at that as her irises widened in surprise, though that moment was short-lived since Byleth started running again, not eager to let that man catch up with them. She had put all her strength behind that blow, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough to kill him or hold him off forever.

Luckily there were stairs when they reached the end of that corridor and the thief descended them before listening to a sign it was ok to do so. She had what was more than likely an Imperial princess on her arms, which would put her in trouble if a servant saw them, but she would deal with trouble if she had to. She hadn’t trained combat with Jeralt for almost six years for nothing.

They went down two floors and found them both empty at first. The faint sound of a commotion could be heard a little to her left, so she turned right and realized she was pretty much retracing her steps. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to simply go away, right? Assuming the girl could climb, that was, which she thought pretty unlikely, but who knew. It was worth a try and way better than her other options, which were play hide and seek while hoping the scary man wouldn’t find them or go after the Blade Breakers and get an extra earful from her father.

No, for once she would do things on her own. She had put herself in that mess to begin with, so it was only fair she would solve things alone. Sighing, she kept running and was thankful the child was holding her for dear life instead of squirming around or yelling for guards to seize her. Which was entirely strange, if she stopped to think about it, and made a mental note to ask her that later. That is, assuming they ever made out of the palace alive.

She was about to round a corner and get to the door which led to the stables when a grownup almost walked straight into her. They stopped a few inches away from each other and she was already turning back to dash some more when a familiar voice reached her ears:

“Kiddo? Didn’t I tell you to stay out – wait, what exactly are you carrying there?”

Great. Of course she would run into her father when she least needed to see him. Still seething from being put out of the mission earlier, she simply went around him and kept going, using his surprise to her advantage. He had no time to go for a grab, as even with another person on her arms Byleth was faster than him.

She went through the door to the stables and closed it, then whispered a few words while calling on magic to make it remain shut. It had been one of the first spells Aradia taught her, as a way to celebrate them being a big family of robbers. It wouldn’t hold her father away forever, but it would surely buy them precious time.

The smaller girl was only put down on the floor again when they were close to the wall. Byleth glanced at her from head to toe to make sure she was ok and nodded to herself, satisfied. Although she still looked worried, afraid and uncertain, there were no bruises on her body. For a second the thief wondered if the man had hurt her before she could arrive, and was relived it wasn’t the case.

“Can you climb?” Byleth inquired, hands already finding holds and easing herself up.

“I- yes, but…” The child answered, looking back at the palace.

“Come. I don’t want that man to hurt you.” She said, realizing it wasn’t as hard to speak to that unknown kid as it was to her own family of bandits. What was going on there?

“Fine, I suppose you are right about it.” The noble conceded, then carefully followed her savior upwards.

The chestnut-haired girl was a lot slower than Byleth, though she wasn’t exactly bad at it. It was only clear she lacked practice, which was a nuisance since they didn’t have time to spend dallying like that. They had to get away from the Enbarr palace as soon as they could, before either her father or the girl’s uncle could find them. That was why, once her feet had hit the grassy land outside, the thief waited for her companion to become visible on top of the wall and said:

“Jump, I’ll catch you.” She stretched her arms and folded her knees, making sure she was ready. The girl hesitated and Byleth almost cursed at that, especially when she heard Jeralt’s voice coming from the stables and hollering obscenities her way. “Don’t be afraid.” She added, almost rolling her eyes when the princess eventually hopped, face scrunched up, and was received in the thief’s embrace.

Setting her down, the older girl held her hand and ran into the woods, hell bent on getting away from her father and anyone else that might hurt them.


	2. A Shaky Beginning (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth takes Edelgard deep into the woods so they can rest for the night and remain out of trouble. Things are difficult at first, as their very different worlds come into contact and clash in some way or another.

“Please, I… cannot take… another step.”

Byleth turned her head to glance at the smaller girl and noticed how her chest was rising and falling a bit too fast, her voice laden with tiredness and her feet stumbling even more often than they should. The thief nodded and slowed her pace to a brisk walk, then finally to a halt.

She supposed it would be ok if they stopped in there for the night – or if necessary, she could always scoop the kid up in her arms again and run a few more miles. They had bolted through the entire woods and were close to the city streets, just where she, Jeralt and Aradia had gone in a few hours ago. Surely her father would go looking for her in that same route, so they would have to hide in between the trees or something, but it would have to make do.

“Just a little more.” The older girl said, guiding her towards a place where vegetation would make for good cover and they would be allowed to sit down and rest. Her companion sighed and whined a bit, but was forced to follow all the same.

“Where are you taking me? My father and my siblings will be very worried.” The princess said, unsure of whether or not to trust that stranger. She had been saved from the fate of having to accompany her once beloved, now feared Uncle to Fhirdiad, but still. That mysterious girl with the fluffy blue hair and emotionless eyes had whisked her away from the castle, no explanations given, and taken her to the middle of a forest of all places. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared for her life still.

“Someplace to rest.” She answered, her voice neutral as always, unsure what to do about the rest of what the princess had said. When she was sure they wouldn’t be easily seen in between bushes, trees and too many plants, she sat down and motioned for the other girl to do the same. “We can stay here.”

“H- Here? What if there are monsters in here?”

“I’ll keep you safe.” Byleth shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her hand went to her dagger and she took it out, threw it in the air and caught it by the hilt while the kid eyed her with a mixture of wonder and fear.

“You could get yourself cut like that.” She chided, even though it was clear from her little display and how she had sliced at Lord Arundel that she had a way with knives. “Anyways, I did not catch your name or the reason why you decided it was a good idea to kidnap me.”

“I didn’t kidnap you, I saved you.” The thief countered, frowning. Was that girl too little to understand what was happening? “That man looked like he was ‘bout to hit you good. Couldn’t let that happen. And I’m Byleth, what’s your name?”

“He hm… He has changed so much recently, he might have hurt me if you hadn’t shown up indeed.” Her lilac eyes were saddened at that. “I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, ninth child of – “

“Nice to meet you, Eldegard.” Byleth interrupted, not at all interested in noble titles. That was the sort of stuff her father scoffed at and, although she had never understood his contempt for it, now she felt how useless that was. Noble or not, that kid had probably been too close to being hurt. Things like that didn’t distinguish between commoners or the elite, after all.

“What did you call me? It is Edelgard. E-del-gard.” The child spoke slowly, miffed at how the other one had simply butchered her name and also seemed to not care at all about who she was. Shouldn’t she be curtsying at the very least, and addressing her as a Lady or something as well?

“… El-de-gard.” The thief repeated, partly amused at how that younger kid was trying to boss her around and partly finding her reactions funny. “Difficult name.”

“No more than yours, Blythe.” The princess shot back, sticking her tongue out and crossing her arms in a clear display of a tantrum. Had she been back at the palace, bickering with one of her siblings, she would have been reprimanded by her lack of decorum. Now, in the middle of a chilly forest with nothing but a ragged girl to make her company, nothing could stop her from acting that way.

Why did Byleth’s chest flutter at that? Shouldn’t she be angry at the kid, or something? She had seen grownups snapping for less. Yet she found something warm bubbling inside her, taking her over and making her smile again. It was still a small beam, nothing compared to what she had seen others do, but it felt like a very different thing for her to do and not a bad one at all.

And interestingly enough, that was all it took for Eldegard, Edelgard or whatever her name was to stop ogling her with anger and actually relax her shoulders, uncross her arms and glance at her with curiosity.

“Are you hurt? The bad man hurted you before?” The thief inquired, eyeing her up and down again in search of bruises.

“There is no such thing as ‘hurted’. The actual word is ‘hurt’.” Edelgard corrected her, a smug smile on her face. “Has no one ever taught you proper grammar?” She had spent her entire day learning new words and some rules of speech as well, which made her even prouder of herself – she was getting to her older sister’s level already, according to their tutor.

“You understood me all right, so it doesn’t matter if I use the right words.” Byleth answered, beaming wider with the child’s taken aback expression. “Ahem… the man _hurt_ you before?” She asked again.

“Actually the correct question would be… ah, never mind that.” The princess gave up, too worn out from that day and their running to really care about it. “And no, he did not. Only when he grabbed my arm, but you were keen on letting him know that was not to be done. Thank you for that, truly.” Remembering her manners, she bowed her head and smiled.

“Glad you’re not hurt.” Byleth replied, then noticed how her companion shivered as a sudden gust of wind blew around them. “Here, come closer.” She opened her arms and beckoned, though she wasn’t cold at all. “We’ll be warmer together.”

Edelgard hesitated for a second, still uncertain and not willing to trust her companion so easily, yet nodded and went to her side once her body trembled again. Although she was fully covered and her clothes were made of the best available wool, it wasn’t enough to keep cold at bay. It had been a rather balmy day, but temperatures had dropped when night fell. She had gone to her room to retrieve a coat before rushing back to play with her little brother, but that was exactly when she found Lord Arundel pawing through her things.

She sighed when the thief’s arms wrapped themselves around her and she was pulled closer to Byleth’s torso. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been so close to another human being like that, as proper princes and princesses didn’t go around asking or giving hugs in public – hers and her siblings’ behaviors were constantly watched over and they never had a chance to simply do things like that, unless they sneaked out during the night to share each other’s beds.

“Comfortable?” Byleth asked, gently setting her chin over the girl’s chestnut hair. The thief had taken out her coat, made of wolf skin, and placed it around them both before embracing her. She smelled nice, all proper and sweet, just like she supposed noble children did.

“Yes, incredibly so. Thank you, Byleth.” She would be polite, even if she didn’t exactly know what to make of the whole situation. After all, that stranger had kept her safe more than once and even said she would do so if a monster appeared. Sure, words were easily said and she had enough older siblings to understand some children were more bravado than action, yet there was something about that girl in particular that appealed to her – and it was neither her scent nor her outfit.

Which reminded her… “What sort of business did you have in the Enbarr Palace to begin with? I do not recall more visitors being announced outside of my uncle.”

“We was stealing stuff.” The older girl replied, as easily and earnestly as if she were talking about the weather. “You gotta up security by the way, ‘twas too easy to get in.”

Edelgard froze in their hug, her muscles tensing as if she had been hit by a bucket of freezing cold water, or like that day when her sister talked her into jumping in the palace garden’s fountain after assuring her it would be very warm.

“You – you were doing what?” Her breath caught and she squirmed, trying to put some distance in between her and Byleth. She would not be held by a thief, no matter how cold she was.

Yet that only made Byleth smirk and restrain her with a little more strength. “Relax, I don’t wanna hurt you. We aren’t after the kids, just the jewelry, money and weapons.”

“And yet… here I am… struggling against you.” She gasped and panted in between her efforts to break free, astounded at how honest the older girl was. Had she no tact or sense of how inappropriate that would sound?

“Stop being hardheaded then.” Byleth shrugged, placing a palm on her back and pulling her closer. “Again, I didn’t kidnap you to sell you back to your parents or whatever.” Here she stopped and considered that idea, tilting her head and putting one hand on her chin. “Hm, that sounds nice, but still. Don’t wanna see you getting hurt by that bad man.”

That took the princess aback and she ceased fighting, her body pressing on the other girl’s. All that flailing had warmed her at the least, but for some reason she no longer wanted to get away from her. There was something unruly, simple and yet at the same time peaceful about her that was alluring to someone like Edelgard, who had been subjected to rules and expectations for as long as she could remember. Now, with that wild kid, she couldn’t even count how many laws of decorum she had already infringed during the few minutes they had started talking.

“That is… really thoughtful of you.” She replied, giving in. “What now, though? We cannot run away forever and if I did read right into the situation, your father is not entirely happy that you saved me. Plus, my father will probably send search parties soon.”

“My dad didn’t want me to raid the palace to begin with. Guess that’s what he was mad about, not you exactly.” Though of course he would be none too merry if he ever dreamed of what she had done.

If there was one rule the Blade Breakers abode to above all else, it was to not leave any tracks or leads that would eventually take the authorities to their camp. The girl was too valuable to be kept in between robbers; her own family would come looking for her, in any case. At the most Jeralt would probably want to ransom her, at the least he would find a way to send her back to the Palace after swearing to not say anything. Either way, it would mean exposing the small child to those who wanted to harm her – and that was something Byleth would not allow at any cost.

“Funny…” The Thief Princess thought aloud, realizing how she was no longer as indifferent to situations as she usually was. Now there was a new mystery to add to the first one – why had she felt so called to the Enbarr palace? Albeit, if she could allow herself to believe in tales meant for little kids, maybe the girl in her arms had something to do with it.

It was indeed interesting how she felt so protective of her, how the mere vision of that man raising his hand to her arm filled her with something white, hot and very dangerous, a sensation that made her want to punch someone. When was the last time something had made her lose her calm? Maybe that instance when Jeralt had almost been killed in a heist gone wrong, five years ago, which also marked her debut as a Blade Breaker since her actions had saved not only him, but the entire group.

“What is funny?” Edelgard queried a few seconds later, her voice diluted by sleep. She had closed her eyes somewhere during the conversation, overcame by tiredness and the pleasant warmth flooding between them.

“Nothing, don’t worry.” Byleth answered, unsure if she should share that bit about herself so early. It wasn’t as if her explanation of her and her peers being thieves hadn’t scared the hell out of the princess. Hearing how she usually couldn’t be bothered with feelings would surely make her run all the way back to the castle and into her uncle’s arms, surely.

“You did not answer my question, though.” She spoke in between yawns, yet still attentive to her surroundings. “What now? There is no way we will manage to keep running forever.”

“For now, you go to sleep. I’ll keep watch.” Byleth shushed her, as she had seen Mila do with Markos whenever he was hurt but tried to keep on doing stuff around the camp. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. I need to think a little, too.”

“You should sleep as well at some point.” Edelgard commented while shifting her body so she would be more comfortable. “You will not be able to keep us safe if you run out of strength.” She sounded peeved, almost as if that was a well-known fact the older girl shouldn’t ignore. “Good night, Byleth.”

“Night, Eldegard.”

“It is…” She almost yelled herself awake, angry at that yet again, but let it be since she was unable to keep her eyes open. “Ugh, you are entirely too hopeless.”

Perhaps she was already drifting off to a pleasant dream, but she was almost sure a giggle came from the older girl at that.

When sunlight broke through the horizon, Edelgard was shaken into wakefulness and in her groggy state was wondering how could her mind conjure such a strange dream as the one she had had. Being threatened by sweet, caring Uncle Arundel, who wanted to take her away for some unknown reason? Then being either rescued or stolen by a girl some years older than her, a kid with stoic eyes that mostly reflected light but gave away none of their own (except when they were on her and she smiled)? And being taken to the woods around the Palace of all places, where they talked a little and fell asleep?

Pre-pos-te-rous, she thought, happy at herself for having learned that word the day before. What a crazy, crazy nightmare to even be entertained. Her eyes still half-closed, she waited for Hubert to tell her it was too late already and she had lessons to attend in about one hour, which meant she would have to get breakfast in fifteen minutes or less in order to be on time – and her tutor would be completely angry if she were even one minute late or with her hair or clothes unfit for the occasion. Princes and princesses had to be proper at all times, no matter what else was going on in their lives.

“Hubert, I am sure it would be better if I were to have breakfast in my quarters today, else I will run the risk of being very late for classes.” She said, somewhat smug. It was rare for her to be granted that simple request, as the bed was not seen as the right place to have a meal, but once in a while it would be the only way for her to not be tardy.

Usually her words would be followed by her vassal sighing and trying his best to patiently explain to the eight-year-old princess that it would be better for her to hurry up and join her siblings, lest he would be chastised by failing his duties once again. Either that, or he would concede, say he would be right back and slam the door on his way out.

However, what followed was neither of those options, but complete silence. That made her frown, yet still not open her eyes. What was going on there and why did her mattress feel so rough to begin with? Her blankets were not her own either, since although they were very warm, they seemed shorter and rougher than she remembered – to the point she was curled up into a ball only so a foot wouldn’t remain uncovered. There was a really cold wind lashing at her cheeks, which was weird since she always closed the windows before going to bed, and the sheer smell of her room was wrong.

Puzzled with all she was feeling, the princess eventually opened her eyes and bolted into a sitting position when she saw that, in fact, she had never been in her quarters to begin with. The woods seemed more alive now that daylight was starting to seep through tall treetops, falling into her face (which had woken her up) and on the bushes around her like lazy beams, dancing here and there when the wind ruffled leaves and branches. The ground underneath her was covered by tall grass, now shining with dew and swaying the slightest as well. She could hear birds singing, welcoming the new day and calling to each other in soft notes, something that had always been background noise to her while in the castle but now was even louder and more beautiful. Somewhere close there might be a stream, as she could discern water flowing around and making a peaceful sound.

Other than that, there were no more signs of life. Not the harried steps of servants running around the palace hallways, like she was used to, nor the voices of her siblings fighting over the last slice of cake until a tutor, distant family member or vassal of her father’s would chastise and remind them of their manners. There was no clatter of silver over plates or pages being turned as books were read and lessons were conducted. It was as if she were completely alone in that wild place, with nothing but a stranger’s coat keeping her warm.

Her heart thudded painfully against her chest. What was going on? Had she stumbled to that place, sleepwalking? Unlikely, a guard or another would have put her back to bed just as it had happened a few times already. So that meant the only plausible explanation would be…

“Morning, Eldegard.”

She yelped at that voice and cowered against a tree trunk, holding the warm jacket against her body for protection. Her eyes darted to the one who had spoken and she relaxed a little, realizing that her supposition had been true. Her so-called nightmare hadn’t been a nightmare at all, but what actually had happened last night.

The older girl tilted her head, looking at her curiously and with some concern too. “Everything ok?”

“Y-yes, you just… scared me.” Edelgard answered, miffed at that and the fact her name had been misspoken again. “For a moment I thought everything had only been a bad dream.”

There was a softness to those indigo eyes when Byleth registered what she had said. “I’m sorry.” She simply uttered, keeping her distance since she had noticed how scared her companion was. “Wish things were easier, but if it helps, I’ve caught us some breakfast.”

As if awaken by these words, the princess’s belly gave a sharp pang, but not before her thoughts alerted her to something. “What do you mean with _caught_ us some breakfast?”

The thief shrugged and lifted her arm, showing a still-twitching fish hanging from her fingers. She had no line, rod or hook to go with the catch either, which was even stranger.

“Fish is not proper breakfast food.” Edelgard protested, wrinkling her nose and turning away. She wasn’t a big fan of those even for lunch, if truth be told, and was appalled at the thought of having to eat that. She watched as Byleth plopped down to the floor unceremoniously and opened her free hand, then used some magic to make small flames appear. “How did you even manage to catch this thing? I do not see a rod on you.”

“Rod? It’s easier to just get them with your hands.” Byleth informed her, holding the fish by its fins and waiting until it died before dangling it over the fire in her other palm. When it got a very nice roast, she turned to a watchful Edelgard and inquired: “You sure you don’t want some?”

“Never. Take that disgusting thing away from me.” The princess replied, though her stomach had other ideas, even more so with the (she had to admit) delicious smell flowing around her. When the thief pretty much put the whole fish in her mouth at once, her belly gave a loud growl that accused her hunger.

Byleth’s eyes went to her companion as she chewed and she couldn’t keep a smirk from taking over her. If regret had a face, it surely would be Edelgard’s at that moment: eyes wide and almost tearful, hands clutching at her small tummy, lips turned down, cheeks pale and back leaning forward.

“Changed your mind eh?” She said in between bites, sure that would make the girl flinch and astounded when there was no such response. “Don’t worry, I got us some more.” She motioned behind her and leaned away so the princess could see there were at least five or six more from where that consumed fish had come from. “Lemme finish this and I’ll make you one.”

There was a silent nod at that, though the thief wondered if she weren’t being internally cursed at taking her time devouring the small meal. Well, the princess had been offered first bite and it wasn’t her fault she had decided to be picky before succumbing to hunger.

Eventually Byleth was done and smacked her lips in approval, for the mere reason it would make her companion jealous – deeming herself successful when she received a scathing look. She languidly reached behind herself and retrieved a dead fish, then called for magic and repeated the process as Edelgard carefully untangled herself from the coat and sat beside her, instinctively placing her gloved palms around the small flames.

“You can wear my jacket if you’re cold.” The older kid said, eyes trained on the meal she was cooking so it would not get too charred. She briefly thought about what waking up in a forest had been like to a girl who was used to sleeping in lavish beds and probably spent her entire day doing whatever she wanted, bossing others around and so on.

“Are you not cold yourself?” The princess inquired while retrieving the piece of clothing and putting it on. The black skin made a nice contrast with her crimson dress and white, now mud-streaked stockings. She sat down again just in time for Byleth to handle her the fish, which she almost dropped due to how hot it was.

“Nah, I’m fine. Was running around and doing some training before catching the fish.” She answered, glad she had been able to fight some invisible enemies and get her morning practice in. Fighting kept her centered and helped her mind focus, especially after how everything had changed so drastically last night. Now she had a small child to protect and people to avoid, including her father and the other Blade Breakers, as she had a feeling they would be keen on simply contacting the Emperor and offering a ransom for the girl. She turned to look at the princess, who tentatively bit the tip of her fish, and remembered something important: “Oh, be careful of little bones here and there, you don’t wanna choke on them.”

“Fish do not have bones.” Edelgard frowned, unsure of that information and also why Byleth seemed to be looking at her in a weird way. “Although I despise fish, I have eaten my fair share of them already and I can assure you they do not have bones.”

“Well silly, that’s probably cause the cooks take them off for you, before you eat.” The thief explained, watching the place where she had bitten and leaning forward. She pinched something very thin poking out of it and pulled, then held it close to the princess’s eyes. “You were saying? And yeah choking isn’t fun. We killed a man like that once.”

The smaller girl was surprised and speechless at that, until Byleth threw the bone away. “You are decidedly rogues, then.” She commented, blushing at her own display of ignorance and trying to cover her fear when she took another bite.

“Part of the job.” She answered, roasting another fish for herself since she was starving. She had no idea what ‘rogues’ meant, but given the girl’s already poor opinion of her, she was sure it wouldn’t be something good after all.

“You are too young to commit yourself to a life of crimes.” The princess turned to look at her, her lilac irises kindling. “Is that what you actually want, I wonder?”

“It’s all I know.” Byleth replied, a bit uncomfortable since she had briefly thought about the same thing before invading the Palace. “What else could I do?”

“I would say that you have some fighting skills that can be valuable elsewhere, assuming you can give up your… lifestyle and join an army or something.” Edelgard offered, since military and political occupations were all she was familiar with. “I am contemplating something like that for myself, as I shall not become Emperor. I was supposed to start training next week.”

“You?” Byleth couldn’t keep amusement away from her voice. It was strange to think that such a small girl would be able to protect anyone, least of all herself. She had been helpless the night before as well, which only added to the joke. “What, think you’ll manage to even lift an axe?”

“What are you implying?” The princess snapped, taking a rather large bite of her meal. “Size is not everything and you cannot judge me for it. You are still a child yourself but you took my uncle as if he were a little baby.”

“I practice tho. Have been for years while you were busy learning nice words and that grammar stuff.” The thief turned to eat her next fish, which had just gotten to the point she liked.

“Diplomacy is just as important, if not more, than weaponry when it comes to conflicts and wars. Simple conversations between leaders have dissuaded the onset of more than one – “

“Yeah yeah, whatever you read in those fancy books. Didn’t see _your_ words protecting you from your dear uncle last night. So maybe you’ve been learning lies or you need to practice the way you talk.”

Although Byleth had just been jesting and wanting to draw another reaction from the little girl, she realized too late that she had overstepped an unspoken border. The princess’s cheeks and the points of her ears turned crimson, more due to anger of being humiliated like that than to her being flustered. She jumped to her feet, muscles taut, tiny hands closed into fists, the remains of her fish half-forgotten in one of them. The thief stood her ground and even though her eyes and posture seemed devoid of any emotion, she felt her chest clench in a new way.

“How dare you say things like that?” Edelgard yelled, very much unlike a princess, yet knowing it wouldn’t matter how she acted or who she was anyway. “You have no idea the type of training we go through, even if we are not going to ascend the throne. We practice all the time. All the time. There are more rules to follow outside of just proper speech and we are not allowed to make a mistake at all. So your implication that I failed to protect myself because my words were wrong –“

“Hey, hey, easy there. I’m sorry, it was a joke, Didn’t mean to upset you like that.” The thief sprung to her feet and touched her forearm in a gentle way, trying to calm her down. That scene and what the princess had said not only made her feel something that maybe was what others called sad, but also it would be dangerous for them to be screaming – she didn’t know if the Blade Breakers weren’t around, looking for them. “Don’t be mad, little girl.”

“You know my name, though you can’t seem to pronounce it correctly yourself.” She angrily retorted, but at least was no longer yelling. There was something about Byleth’s touch that strangely enough managed to dissipate her fury to a degree. For once it wasn’t a disciplinary, chastising or ushering physical contact, like the ones she was used to. She was even more surprised when those fingers caressed her instead of simply holding.

“That, too. But still, you’ll be a great fighter if you train.” The older girl decided to stick to facts and be careful with how she worded things – which was already a challenge by itself, since that was the first time she had spoken that much in her entire life. Even her father would be surprised to hear her voice for that long. “Let’s finish eating, I don’t wanna stay here for too long.”

Luckily Edelgard complied and sat down again, her irises still betraying some anger over what had happened. However, she had to agree it wouldn’t be a good idea for them to dawdle in the woods, for they gave only a false sense of security and isolation. It would be easy for them to be spotted in between all the green, with no other human being present and living in that space.

“Do you have any idea about what we should do next, then?” The younger girl inquired, finishing her fish and eyeing Byleth’s with hunger. It had been a pretty tasteless meal, compared to what she was used to having and the fact they were eating it without any seasoning at all, but food was food and she was usually ravenous in the morning.

The other girl caught her staring and made a mental note to roast some more before they could set off. “Kind of. We should go hide in plain sight, I think. My father knows his way around woods and forest and is good at tracking people in them. I’ve been trying to cover for us but can’t undo all the damage we did coming here last night. You know, broken twigs and the likes. So he’d get to us fast if he isn’t already.

“Which means we need to do the obvious, go into Enbarr and look for a place to keep you safe until your uncle goes away. I mean, he isn’t from here right? My guys said they saw a carriage arriving the afternoon we broke into your palace.”

“Indeed, he is not. His territories are rather far.” She focused on the last part of her speech while her head tried making sense of the rest. Had that unknown girl, a thief no last, simply volunteered herself to act as her bodyguard for an undetermined length of time? “So you are saying we should mingle with the populace and hide in the city? I suppose this could work, my father always says there are a lot of people in Enbarr. Not that I would know.” She added with a grimace.

“You’ve never been to your own city?” When the princess sadly shook her head, she added: “But it’s right in front of the palace too.”

“I have not been allowed outside at all, or if I have, I was very young and cannot remember.” She looked at the ground, equal parts forlorn and ashamed of herself for that. “Father is very concerned for our security and even though he is never one to say ‘no’ to me, that is the one wish he has never relented to. I just do not know why.”

“Hm, interesting…” Byleth mused, then had those thoughts interrupted when she heard muffled voices and the rustling of boots on grass. “Quick, come with me and don’t say a word.” She whispered, holding the princess’s hand and taking her between the tall bushes where they had spent the night.

She forced the younger girl to duck and did the same after retrieving the fish she had left behind, their bodies as close and as small as they could be while those noises grew closer to them. Edelgard looked at her, eyes wide in fear and surprise, and the thief slowly put a palm on her mouth for good measuring, before she could whimper and give away their position.

“Do you really think she’d come this way, Jeralt?” Byleth recognized Aradia’s voice and had a sinking feeling some sort of tracking spell had been used. It was advanced magic and not something she had witnessed the mage doing, but who knew. Desperate times often did call for desperate measures.

“I dunno, actually. She’s really smart for an eleven-year-old but still.” Her father retorted, worry and confusion clear in his tone. He also sounded raucous and tired, as if he hadn’t slept at all – not that she could blame him. Between making sure Edelgard was safe and comfortable, getting some training done and finding something for them to eat, Byleth had barely rested herself.

“What came over her, though, kidnapping a princess of all things?” Another long-time friend and member of the Blade Breakers asked and she realized there were about four or five people in there. “That’s a nice idea, anyways, but it’s not like her.”

“It’s all a mystery to be honest, but at least it bought us enough time so we could leave the palace unscathed. Those guards were really something else and if that weird man hadn’t called them off to go search for the girl, we would have to do some heavy lifting before escaping.” Jeralt said, then sighed in relief. “But what good are all those coins and jewelry if she’s missing _with_ the damned princess? We’re screwed if those Imperial bastards find them first, too.”

Their steps got even closer to where the two girls were hiding and they both tensed, Edelgard more so than Byleth. They pressed close to one another and the smaller girl caught her other hand, the one which wasn’t over her mouth, squeezing it with some strength. She would rather not be caught by any adults, not her own guards nor the thieves, though it was surely hard to think of what life would be like if she were to never again see her family. One day at a time, though. In that moment, she had to do her best to remain concealed from those people – who were starting to sound less scary and more like her own parents the more they talked about the older child lying next to her.

“Plus, it’s not as if the poor kid deserves to spend her life in a dungeon, whatever the reason that took her to act like that.” Aradia complemented, sounding sad at that. “I’d say we won’t find any traces of them in the same route we took to get to the palace, though. The woods on the other side of the place… now that’s something else.”

“Ugh, are you suggesting we’ve just wasted our night looking here? Fine then, let’s join the others and see if they have better news. Don’t wanna be too far from her for too long.” Her father added, a sad note in his voice.

“Don’t worry, boss, you’ve raised her well. She’ll know how to take care of herself without us close.”

“Yeah, I hope you’re right about that.” The way he said that didn’t really inspire confidence, but soon enough they started slowly edging away from that patch of the woods, their voices fading into the distance and in between birdsong.

Gradually the girls relaxed clenched muscles and let out a breath they hadn’t even realized they had been holding. Edelgard kept Byleth’s hand on her own for a while regardless, still too scared to actually let go. The thief remained silent and cosseted the girl’s palms until her breath became even again.

“I cannot believe they actually missed us.” The princess’s voice was shaken, but she did her best to look strong once they unfurled and got to their feet again, a few minutes after those men had gone away.

“Yeah but you heard them, right? They’ll be looking at the other side of the woods for a while. So we’ll be safer in the city for a while and, once they really go for Enbarr, we’ll probably already be safely hiding.”

Edelgard crossed her arms and considered it, a little shaken by that close call. Sure, staying in the forest wasn’t their best course of action to begin with. The city would offer them a better shot at not getting caught as well as more resources (minus the danger of being attacked by a monster, as everyone knew monsters were supposed to be in forests only). Plus, it would be only fair for the little princess to actually get to know her city, right?

“You are right, I think. Enbarr is really big and it will be easier for them to miss us. However, maybe the Imperial guard will be on high alert and they would recognize me without a doubt.”

“Oh true.” Byleth frowned and tried thinking about it. “Well, your dress is kinda easy to spot too, so maybe we’ll get ourselves other clothes once we’re there. Let’s keep away from the main gates and too wide spaces too, give the bad guys less of a chance to find you.”

“They are not the bad guys, though.” The princess shot back, slightly miffed. “It is so fitting that a bandit would say something like that about soldiers.”

“I was thinking about your uncle, actually. That’s one hell of a bad guy.”

That made the younger girl look sad and concerned again, which in turn had Byleth questioning if she weren’t overstepping and saying stuff she shouldn’t really be. Sighing in frustration, she decided it would be better for them to at least remain friendly – it would be harder to protect a charge that was so unwilling to be in her presence.

“Listen, little princess, I think we started on the wrong hands –“

“On the wrong foot.”

“On the wrong hands, feet, nose, tummy, you name it.” She went on, trying to not let the flurry of anger that rose to her chest make its way to her mouth. It was incredible how many different things she had started feeling recently – and somehow they seemed related to that girl. “So, can we try again? I don’t wanna be your enemy at all.”

Those lilac eyes widened in surprise and at first there was a bit of mistrust in them, until it gave away to tentative warmth. A small, shy smile blossomed on her lips and she nodded, looking up in anticipation.

“I’m Byleth Eisner, nice to meet ya.” The thief actually gave a small, messy curtsy that made the smaller girl giggle.

“I am glad to meet you, Miss Byleth. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg.” She properly bowed, hands on her dress, then added before that mood could be broken: “And thank you so much for all you have already done for me.”

They shared a long glance and a beam, before Byleth carefully picked up the princess’s hand and led her away toward the city

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Young Byleth making some grammar mistakes and Edelgard correcting them, especially when it comes to her own name. I don't want to make Byleth look illiterate/ stupid or something, but it felt interesting to show how different they were even in that aspect.  
> Side note for next chapter: It won't actually be Part Two of "Shaky Beginnings", so don't worry if the title feels weird next time around. The continuation to this, of sorts, will come later on  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. The Streets of Enbarr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Edelgard decide it's best to leave the woods and hide in the Imperial Capital, where they would be able to gather resources for surviving a lot easier while also getting lost in the crowds.  
> The princess is shaken when her earlier images of a perfect Enbarr are conflicted with the real world.

The princess kept her hand in Byleth’s all the while, even though a part of her was screaming at her on how lame that was. She was to become a warrior someday and how would she manage to do that if she was so afraid right then? However, there was no denying how on edge she was with the sheer prospect of getting into the city – her city – and walking through those eerie woods that could be laden with monsters just waiting to jump at them.

Plus, she had lost her footing once or twice and almost fallen into the older girl, which was even more humiliating to begin with.

They remained in a brooding silence, more focused on watching their steps and thinking on how their day would go. Byleth was actually attentive to sounds around the forest, making sure they weren’t being followed by either hungry animals or human beings who could be there for some reason or another. Her body was tense, a fact that wasn’t lost on Edelgard and made anxiety flutter inside her chest. Had she perceived some sort of threat or was that just a preemptive measure?

“Is – is everything alright?” She timidly inquired after a while, when the thought something could be off became unbearable for her.

“Shh, I’m listening.” The thief simply answered, but relaxed her shoulders and her grip on the small hand. When she glanced sideways and realized the girl had a scared expression in her eyes, she softly added: “Just making sure, but nothing to worry about as of now.”

She received a nod in response and was relieved when her companion looked a little less frightened. There was a pang in her chest when she briefly wondered how hard it must be for someone who had lived in the bubble of a beautiful palace throughout all her life to be exposed to the world like that, in a forceful and abrupt way, with nothing but an unknown, older kid to protect her.

That thought made her squeeze the princess’s hand in sympathy, caressing her knuckles, an act which was received with a gasp, a smile and a blush. It was as much reassurance as the thief could give her as of now, but apparently that would be enough.

Soon they looked up from the grassy floor when new sounds assaulted their ears. Birdsong gave away to the clamors and shouts of people going about their business in the beginning of that day. They heard carts being wheeled around on concrete, children hooting and steel hitting the pavement even before they could catch a first glimpse of Enbarr.

The thief had purposefully taken an unorthodox path, steering clear from the ones the Blade Breakers had used the last night, and as a result had no idea in which part of the city they were about to arrive. She hoped it wasn’t anywhere compromising, if there were such areas anyways. She wished she had as good a memory as Mila and Markos, for she couldn’t completely recall the map they had stolen and studied for a little while before getting weapons and finishing their preparations to raid the palace.

There was increasingly more light in their path as trees became scarce and the ground seemed more even, probably stepped upon more often than in deeper parts of the woods. When they saw some trash lying around, such as remains of rotting food and discarded, completely torn clothes, they were sure humans had indeed explored that portion of the place once in a while – and soon enough they would find them.

Indeed, once they left behind the last signs vegetation and blinked against intense light (their eyes had grown accustomed to dimmer luminescence due to the time spent in the woods), they realized they were in the outskirts of Enbarr, in the beginning of a street that looked… a bit suspicious and made Byleth internally curse. Of course she had ended up taking them to such a place even if she hadn’t meant to.

Most houses and buildings were falling apart or close to the point of doing so, actually collapsing under their own weight and the fact they had probably been built with as little, low quality materials as possible. Those stood on a narrow lane where the once adorned, silvery rock pavements were dirty, broken and full of holes here and there, which would turn them into the perfect obstacle fields if one decided to run on them.

Just like in the edge of the forest, there was some trash lying everywhere, as well as human waste and actual people looking on the verge of death blocking that path. The view was something out of a nightmare for Edelgard, whose body tensed and became taut as a bowstring as she watched that, how those heavy-lidded people were covered in swarms of flies and didn’t even bother or didn’t have the strength to swat them away. Or how the streets were cluttered with things no one wanted, making them ugly, smelly and unkempt in a way she had never thought possible.

Was that how her beloved Enbarr actually looked like up close? The city she sometimes took time to admire in between lessons and after lunch, when she ran away from tutors and whoever could assign her something else to do, that had always seemed so shiny and imposing, so much a symbol of the glorious Adrestian Empire… reduced to shambles like that? Her father usually told them stories of how the capital was clean and nice looking. How its inhabitants were the most pleasant people in the world and always treated him almost like a God whenever he was out and about.

Yet when the Imperial princess gawked at them, all she could see in response after their initial surprise was disgust, loath and sheer violence directed more her way than to the thief beside her. She wondered if they could recognize her dress and identify her as a noble, but then shouldn’t they be bowing and treating her as the royal she was?

Her panic rose at that discrepancy between the world she had been made to believe was real and what was actually confronting her at that moment, something that got even worse when more and more ragged people of all ages peeked from doorways and windows at the two weird children.

Too many glassy eyes were turned their way. Some had sneers and challenging grins in their expressions, but mostly there was some defiance and hatred emanating from those unknown people. How could they have such a strong reaction to them if they had never seen them before? Those questions fluttered around the princess’s mind and kept her locked in place, hence her feet were dragged once Byleth finished taking stock of that situation and decided the only way to go was forward.

“Come, little one. You’re safe with me.” The thief said, trying her best to smile encouragingly. She knew that must be hard to believe, given what they were facing at the moment and the fact they were only two kids against who knew how many grownups, but still. She was confident showing fear was the worst thing they could do at the moment, honestly. Fear and vulnerability had a way to drive ill-intended people on and that was the last thing they wanted in a situation like that.

To her relief, the girl complied and took a tentative first step forward, albeit a small one that made her still stand behind Byleth. “I am not little.” She muttered, though her voice lacked its usual strength and commanding quality. Somehow that seemed to grant her some determination and she started following the thief.

“Don’t look at them even if they try getting at you.” The older child whispered as a last warning, once they did get closer to the houses and those people around them. “Keep your eyes to the ground.”

There was a small nod in response, but the princess wondered why they were really parading around those slums like that. She wasn’t one to question, especially when the one beside her was the only thing standing between her and certain death at the hands of those citizens. The perception and sensation of so many stares on her was unnerving, made her want to either run as fast as she could or curl into a ball and cry, though she did neither and followed the lead, their pace too slow for her liking.

Indeed, the floor was so full of trash and unfortunate, discarded people that it was impossible for them to glance anywhere else in order to not fall. The problem was that those inhabitants did not only look, but also made a point to jeer and hurl all types of insults and barely discernible words at them. Although Byleth stood as calmly as if nothing else were happening, Edelgard’s eyes widened at what she heard and a few tears threatened to spill from her half-lidded eyes.

That procession seemed to take forever, at least to the younger child in her scared state. At some point her hands were shaking and a sudden scream nearby made her yelp, which elicited some laughs from all around her and made her deeply blush, stumble and almost fall. There was no worse humiliation in her eyes, to be made fun of by her own people. Some tried grabbing at them, more so at her, but that stopped once Byleth unsheathed her dagger and threatened them with a wordless grunt and a rather wild expression which was at odds with her stoic behavior. After that, there were no further assaults on the princess, but that didn’t mean she was able to relax until they were out of that place.

Thus when their volley of bad words and strange sounds was finally left behind, Edelgard stood still and panted as if she had run a marathon instead of leisurely ambling though a path. She didn’t want to cry in front of Byleth, who held herself so confidently and as if nothing at all had occurred. Comparing her sorry state to the other girl’s only made her feel even worse about the whole thing, accompanied by a certain tightening on her windpipes that intensified when the thief patted her back and soothingly ran a hand through her hair, what remained of her pigtails.

And that was exactly what made a sob escape her lips, completely unwanted and uncalled for.

She would not cry. She would _not_ cry. She would… oh well.

“You’re safe, Eldegard.” Byleth said in a soft voice, taking pity on the girl.

“It is EDELGARD!” She yelled through tears that were finally spilled, too shaken to go on and try keeping her mood in check as a proper princess should. But then, what about her life in the last few hours had been either proper or princess-like?

“Come, let’s sit for a while and we can talk.” The older girl put a hand on her small back and ushered her away, glad she had been able to elicit an angry retort instead of a sad one.

“Not h- here, please.” Edelgard uttered, broken, too impressed with what she had seen insofar and how distant that was from the image she had stablished of the world. “Let us speak later.”

“Ok then.” Byleth agreed with a shrug and watched as the younger one wiped her tears away and put on a braver face after a few seconds spent in silent. “Just don’t forget that you’re fine, ok? Nothing bad’ll happen as long as we’re together. So don’t leave my side.”

She had seen little children getting lost in big cities countless times and how some pettier thieves would use them as ransom for as much money or valuable as the parents had. After seeing that street they had just gone through, she was sure something like that could happen in the Imperial capital as well, which meant she would have to become even more attentive while they were there.

Remembering who they would probably have to run from as well, she added: “Oh, and let me know if you spot any of them guards. I dunno who they are but I’ll not let them take you back.”

“I- I will. Thank you, Byleth.” The girl said for the hundredth time or something like that, her eyes downcast and hands still slightly shaking at what she had seen. She would have a lot to tell her siblings if she ever set foot in the palace again, which was a big ‘if’, all things considered. They had agreed on waiting for Lord Arundel’s carriage to leave the city before returning her to her family, but she had seen the thief’s dubious acquiescence to it.

In a sense it reminded her of Hubert’s loyalty to her, though the mage had been nowhere in sight last night when the palace was attacked. She wondered how he was faring and if he had been punished by his father for such an oversight, wincing at the thought. Marquis von Vestra was a scary man, one she was grateful to not cross again after the day his son had been appointed her vassal.

Looking at the brooding girl beside her, she had to admit there seemed to be something more to it than mere devotion. Byleth hadn’t been sworn to her since birth, nor had she been forced to be her bodyguard in any way, shape or form. No, these decisions had been taken voluntarily, as far as she knew anyway, which was surprising and strange given how everything was happening around them.

“What about your family?” Edelgard queried, breathing easier when the landscape around them became less hostile and more of what she had imagined Enbarr to be, with people going to and fro stores, houses and marketplaces with purses full of gold and goods on their shoulders.

“Hm? I’m watching out for them, no worries.” The thief answered, her eyes scanning their whereabouts with caution.

“That is not what I meant to ask. Do you not wish to see them again? Or is your intention to bring me to them at some point?” There was always the fact that this could be a ruse, a make-believe and that the older girl had been instructed to whisk her away, pretend to be her friend and eventually take her to her father and the other thieves so they could… well, she didn’t know. Do whatever robbers did when they had a princess under their custody?

Byleth huffed, almost as if offended by the theory. “If I wanted you to be with them, we wouldn’t run out of the palace and to a hiding spot. Honestly, if I wanted you anywhere, you’d be there already. You’re easy to carry.” There was no gloating in her voice, it was only as if she were stating a fact. “And I dunno about seeing them. They’re my family but… I can’t let you get hurt.”

At that last part, the older child turned around to face her companion and was amused at the way she blushed, eyes widening in surprise at that. “What, something I said?” The little thief inquired, concerned. She knew she had always been emotionally distant and couldn’t really care for what others perceived as ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ when it came to social interactions, but she didn’t want to scare the princess away, either.

“It is nothing. I just, hm, do not feel it is fair for you to choose in between your own people and me.” She admitted in a pensive voice, wondering why she was having such a hard time being earnest, instead acting more careful around someone who should be thankful to be serving a princess. However, there was something about their whole dynamics insofar that kept her from seeing things that way, the way she had often done when someone under her social status had offered her a service or goods.

The thief protecting her and vowing to keep her away from harm certainly could not fall into the same category and it surely didn’t, not in her mind anyway. But then, what did that make her? If she were not someone under Edelgard, being paid to do something or the other, what was she?

“You need me.” Byleth calmly stated, shrugging at her last sentence. It was no big deal in her mind and she didn’t understand why the girl was making such a fuss over it. “They’re fine either way.”

“No. It was clear in the way they spoke that they do care a lot about you. Do not say such things.” Edelgard was still replaying Jeralt’s and the other Blade Breakers’ conversation in her mind. It was incredible to her how much love and concern had been clear in their voices and it had touched her heart to hear it. “Perhaps you rescuing me was a mistake, as it is keeping you away from –“

“I choose you, then.”

“What?”

“If it’ll make you more calm to hear it, I choose you over them.” The thief would rather they didn’t have to discuss that, but for some reason it was clear in her mind that she would actually stick to the girl walking beside her if she were ever pushed to make that call. They had been together for only a little time, but already she could feel something changing inside of her due to it. “Don’t regret rescuing you, either.”

“It is _‘calmer_ ’, by the way.” The princess mumbled in order to distract herself from some weird sensations playing inside her chest which began after she heard that almost vow.

The thief grinned and loudly yawned, then chuckled at the dirty stare she got due to that. She was relieved to not see any mark of sadness in the smaller girl’s features, at least not anymore, even more so when she thought her words had managed to at least bring her some peace of mind.

Thus they aimlessly strolled, going from that torn, crumbling neighborhood into what seemed to be a livelier place, where there was less litter and people on the floor for one and things were more tended for, well-kept and organized. Houses were bigger, more colorful and decidedly sturdier too, not completely glued onto the next one but with some fences and gardens in between them. There was no smell of decay and imminent rot, nor groans and cries from fallen human beings.

Here, children ran carefree, giggling in delight, their clothes mended but not torn, sweet smiles on their faces as they played with friends and siblings under the watchful eyes of parents and guardians. The princess couldn’t help but gawk at those kids both younger and older than her, a pang of envy at how free they looked, as if they had no care in the world and didn’t have to abide by rules of decorum or keep memorizing facts for future lessons.

Grownups lightly chastised the little ones, yet in the end simply shook their heads with a warm expression and went on about their business, tending to houses and flowerbeds, repairing streets, delivering parcels and all sorts of occupation Edelgard couldn’t even begin to understand. She was frowning all the while, aware of Byleth’s curious glance in her direction, unable to contrast this view of the world with the one they had had a few minutes ago, in the less fortunate parts of Enbarr. How could two such distinct universes exist mere feet away from each other? Didn’t that cause trouble and turmoil for people in this part of the city?

Apparently there was a lot she and her siblings weren’t being taught by their fancy tutors and well-meaning family members, as she had no answer to her own questions and failed to grasp how so many different realities could coexist like that. Sure, she knew not everyone was as privileged as the royal family and the Imperial nobility, but to see humans waiting for death while lying on the street had been too much, too brutal for her.

When merchants passed by yelling their prices and describing their wares, which included everything from foreign fruit and meats, colorful fabric and clothes, weapons, ores and all sorts of instruments she had never seen before, she couldn’t help but stare in awe. The rich, different accents which colored their speech were also something that surprised her, though it made sense people from outside of Fódlan would be willing to travel all the way to Enbarr in order to sell. However, it was one thing to know that was the case and another altogether to witness it happening. She wondered why her family had been so keen on locking them in the palace, when there was so much to be learnt simply by strolling through the city like they were doing in that moment.

“Don’t keep looking around all the time like that, little princess. You’ll call attention to us and it people think we’re foreigners.”

Byleth’s whispered comment made Edelgard stop and glance at the floor, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. It wasn’t as if she could help herself or quell that incessant curiosity at the outside world, if she were being completely honest. Whenever she had imagined how life was outside of the palace walls, she had never figured things could be that different, yet have their own richness of detail and importance to the world in general.

“My apologies.” She mumbled, trying her best to ignore three sisters loudly crackling at something a boy had said to the oldest one. Why was she so curious towards them anyways? “I did not know people could be so plain.” She said, sticking her nose in the air and trying to mask how a part of her actually yearned for such lack of responsibilities, to say the least.

This wasn’t lost on the thief, who simply smirked and shook her head. “Yeah, whatever you say. I’ll pretend I didn’t see your eyes shining since we got here.”

“Oh shut it, you do not know what you are talking about.” Edelgard bristled for a second, then remembered she had promised herself to act more tactful towards her savior, since… well, the girl _had_ kept watch over her to begin with. “What I mean is –“

“Relax, I’m not mad.” The thief shrugged, then giggled at how flustered the girl seemed to be. “Guess I’d be just the same inside your place.”

“Do you mean, ‘I would be the same if I were in your place’?” She corrected, also noting how most people around them, both old and new, seemed to have the same speech pattern and broken grammar that Byleth used. It was expected for them to not speak all properly like she was supposed to, as she was a princess and they were not, but it still surprised her and made her wonder if there weren’t better things for her siblings and her to learn than simply how to speak.

“Yeah, that.” The thief nodded, looking around and trying to remember where they were according to the map she had seen. “I think if we keep going up from here we’ll end up at the palace again and that’s no good. We should drop by a market and get some food, other stuff for you to wear and maybe a weapon or two.” She said, raising a finger for each item as she listed them.

“It does sound like a great idea, truly, but should I be the one to remind you we have no money with which to acquire those items?” Edelgard said with a huff, trying to come up with a way to solve that. “I could ask merchants for favors and tell them to go get their payment with my father. Or just let them know who I am, surely they would be more than honored to treat a princess –“

“Don’t wanna burst your bubble, but I don’t think anyone would believe you’re actually a princess right now.” Byleth spoke in as soft a voice as she could. “Yeah, you talk all fancy but that isn’t enough.”

The younger child looked down and finally noticed how disheveled she looked. Her white stockings were either torn here and there due to running in between trees and their branches or caked with mud from sitting and sleeping on a filthy ground. Her shoes were scratched and too spent from all the walking they had done, since they had been made to look pretty and not much else. She was sure her face was dirty and not just due to the tears she had shed before, plus her hair must be something else. That last fact was confirmed when Byleth combed it with her fingers and showed her two leaves.

“… you are right about that, I suppose.” She admitted, feeling her daydreams of announcing who she was and being welcomed into a nice, warm house where she could borrow some clothes and, more importantly, take a well-deserved bath, evaporating. “What do you suggest we should do, then? It is not as if we could get those things for free.”

She trailed off as her sentence reached the end, especially when the older girl gave her a grin and winked. Of course they could – or rather, Byleth could. She had been doing this throughout her entire life after all.

“Just leave that to me, my fair princess.” She mock bowed and the gesture, plus those words, drew a scowl from her companion. “When we get to a nice market I’ll have all we need and more before you can even notice it.”

“That is wrong. I cannot allow you to do something of such nature.” She retorted, feeling angry at herself for even considering the possibility. She was a noble, she had to lead by example even if she were not to ascend the throne at all. And letting someone steal was not something that royalty should encourage. “There has to be another way.”

“I’m not asking for your permission, little one.” The thief commented, petting her head and wondering why she had a fleeting thought about how cute Edelgard was, trying to be royal to the end and boss her around alongside it. “They won’t miss a dress or two, a sword or three and some sweets.”

“Do not patronize me!” She almost yelled, but managed to keep her voice in check as they turned around a corner and saw several tents in the distance. The way they were aligned with the street made her think it was probably some sort of fair; apparently Byleth had the same idea, since her eyes widened in glee and she smiled.

“Let’s go, I’m still hungry.” The thief said, ignoring the girl’s protest and leading her away in an almost run.

“Hey, I mean it! I will not let you rob these poor, honest people like that!”

The older child spared the princess a bemused glance, then shrugged and simply said: “Watch me.”

“I would like you to know I do not approve of your behavior at the slightest.”

“Well, looks like you’re enjoying the sweet though. So… does it matter?”

Edelgard would have replied if she hadn’t just taken a very big bite of what felt like the best strawberry shortcake in the world – but maybe that was because she had still been hungry and only had the taste of unseasoned fish earlier in the morning as memory for comparison. That didn’t mean she didn’t sigh, audibly so, before finally swallowing her food and turning around to face the thief with angry eyes.

“It does. Theft is never justified.” She said, beaming proudly to herself at that since she remembered reading about such a thing in one of the many books in her father’s study room.

“Say that again when you’re going hungry and no one gives you anything.” Byleth actually grumbled, which made it even harder to understand since she had spoken while chewing at the roasted meat stick she had managed to grab for herself.

That made the princess halt and look at her companion with concerned eyes. Had that happened to her? She felt guilty for one second, her heart thudding painfully in empathy as she wondered how many times her family had overindulged and leftovers were simply thrown away as garbage.

“Get a move, Eldegard. We need to find an alley or something where you can change.”

“Wait for me.” She ran a little as she realized she had been left behind with her thoughts and some clothes thrown over her shoulders. At that point she had given up educating the older girl on how to actually say her name, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t irked whenever she was called wrongly. “You took more than it was necessary, I am afraid.”

“We’ll need to disguise you in case a guard or any of my guys spots us.” She answered, piling some more clothes on her own shoulders and finding a way to keep the two swords she had smuggled from dragging across the floor. “And I only got stuff that you liked, so not my fault you liked a lot of them.”

Edelgard blushed at that remark. “Do not blame me for your thieving spree.”

She was still flabbergasted at how easily and naturally Byleth had managed to get what they needed, wanted or liked without being noticed. Hardly one hour had passed since they had spotted the street fair and there they were, strolling away as if they had done nothing wrong and weren’t carrying more stuff than two kids their ages were supposed to.

It had worked like that: the older girl at first simply looked around, taking stock of everything that was offered and where it could be found. Once she had a clear mental image, she asked the princess what items had caught her eye or if she was in need of something from the food portion of the marketplace, then listened to her half-hearted requests and nodded, a sly smile on her face.

She had told Edelgard to stand still and never move a muscle as she worked her way clockwise around the tents. She started with the most crowded ones and waited the exact time when the seller was too busy counting money, giving change or being harassed in order to lower the prices. Then her hands swiftly and precisely grabbed onto what she wanted and took it under her coat or clothes, if it was a small object or clothing. Once or twice she had to hide behind the tent, which had looked comical to Edelgard even though she had been in shock at seeing how easily it was done, and there was a time the thief was forced to pretend being part of a huge family so as to avoid suspicion.

All in all, the grownups hadn’t even noticed something was missing – or that an eleven-year-old had sticky fingers. There had been no guards around there anyways, for some uncanny reason, so it wouldn’t have been hard for the two girls to run away if it had come down to it.

“I cannot believe no one saw you doing what you did.” The princess mused as she thought about it, feeling guilty about the dresses hanging from her shoulder, the extra slice of pastry safely tucked away and how they now had a basket filled to the brim with enough food to last them for a while.

“Adults have bad eyesight.” She summarized, though she had heard Jeralt saying something about them being prone to not paying as much attention to the world around them as kids did, something Byleth took to heart and always did her best to not be noticed by any children during her missions.

“Apparently so. That would explain why my father has lied to me about Enbarr during all these years.”

The thief turned around to stare at her companion when she heard a feathery touch of sadness tinge her voice as she said that. Was that the reason why the younger girl had seemed so upset earlier on?

That thought gave her an idea which didn’t sound that bad, even more so since they had been on their feet for quite a while and it was better if they stayed away from central areas of the city. “Hey, let’s go left here and walk for a bit more, then sit down ok? I wanna talk to you about what happened early and well, it’d be nice to rest.”

“We have been walking since sunrise, yes.” The princess agreed, trying her best to not wince whenever she took a step, since her shoes were hurting her feet and her legs felt heavy due to all that exercise. She had been doing her best to not complain or plead for some timeout, as it would feel completely embarrassing for her to admit being tired like that.

“Funny how there’re no guards around here. Thought we’d have to run away from them all the time.”

“I suppose you and your ilk have stirred things badly enough in the palace that the soldiers stationed on the city had to be relocated.” She mused, wondering how the bandits had managed to get away to begin with and how much damage had been done to her beloved home. “What in the name of heavens drove you into attacking the castle, of all places? Have you no concern for your own lives? You could have easily been caught and arrested, and you are too young to be incarcerated for the rest of your life.”

“Why do you care? We’re just the bad guys to you.” Byleth tilted her head, actually interested at what had made the young girl chastise her like that. “As for why we raided the palace… Someone thought it’d be fun. Or a real challenge. But your security was awful, you have numbers but not strength.”

“So this is all it is to you then, a game. Like hide and seek, with the stakes being your future and the lives of whoever gets in your way.” She tried really hard to ignore that last part about how easy it had been for them to get into the place, but it did sting. She would not have someone talking stupid stuff like that.

“We don’t like killing, unless people try hurting us and ours.” The response was honest, easy, as simple and clear as the fact the sun is warm.

They had ambled to the end of a rather wide street and ended up in a plaza of sorts. It was square-shaped, with several paths leading to it and a raised dais in between patches of grass. There were symbols etched in marble over the platform and important-looking buildings around it It was a bit more crowded than the marketplace they had just left and for a moment they were silent, wondering why it was the case.

The girls were startled when a beautiful, melodious voice came from one of the oldest, most traditional buildings and some cheers erupted through the assembled people. Their eyes were drawn to it and, due to their vantage point more sideways to the gathering that was forming right in front of the place, they were able to see as a tall woman took her first step into the streets while singing.

She was wearing a long black dress that showed off her curves, cut low to reveal parts of her chest while leaving up the rest to imagination. Her silver hair was done in such an intricate, elaborate way that Edelgard suspected it was actually a wig that had been styled, even more so when it looked rather stiff when a breeze ruffled her dress but not the hair itself. That didn’t make the spectacle any less amazing to her eyes, especially when she realized there were other performers alongside her, singers and musicians alike gracing the people with a brief number.

“The Mittelfrank Opera Company.” The princess whispered in reverence, remembering days long gone when her uncle had told her incredible tales of being swept off his feet by an incredible songstress and her performance whenever he went to Enbarr. He had promised to take her there some day, when she was old enough to understand what operas were all about and able to admire the talents of one… What was her name again?

“How do you know them if you never came to the city before?” The thief inquired, her eyes drawn to the scene as well. They walked closer, but not close enough so they would be swallowed by the crowd, and kept to the side in order to have a clear view. She could barely make the words, sung in some alien form of their language, but something about that song made her chest feel painful and heavy.

“My uncle has and he always told me about how beautiful it was. He would get magicians to imbue cards with a song, then take these to me so I could listen for a bit.” The sad part for her was that the magic always wore off after a day or two, so she was left with a blank piece of paper that did nothing – but kept these stashed away in her treasure chest anyways. “That one is ‘The Sacrifice on the Dragon’s Table’ if I am not mistaken and she is singing Robin’s part. Or maybe it is ‘Invisible Ties’, I wonder…”

“Rob-who?” Byleth asked, visibly curious but not following anything of that conversation anymore. The voice was indeed beautiful, she had to admit it, but the fact she couldn’t understand neither the song nor the context made her grow bored.

Thus she went back to doing what thieves were the best at: accessing potential for some small robbery here and there, which would be made even easier for her since there were too many people clustered together and their attention was fixated elsewhere. All she needed now was a target, something that looked valuable enough for her to get and would be worth the effort.

That was when her eyes found the last person she wanted to see in that moment, which made her flinch and tense her muscles in anticipation. Those reactions were enough to make Edelgard look away from the songstress and to her companion, then follow her gaze.

“Is that…”

“Jeralt. My dad.” Byleth whispered, frozen in place. “He’s distracted and I don’t think he saw us.”

“Let us hide, then, qui-“

“No. If we move now, we’ll draw attention to ourselves. Stay put.” The older girl ordered, glancing around them while avoiding any sharp movements. Although the children had been able to see him by chance, it wouldn’t be that easy for him to do the same, as there were too many people in between them and they were rather small in comparison to the audience, which was composed mostly of grownups.

People were swaying to the song, which meant they would get occasional glimpses of him in different moments. Sometimes heads cleared away and they saw his saddened, worried eyes, his mouth pulled down. Then they appraised his demeanor, his posture taut yet slumped almost in an admission of defeat. However, it was when his hand became visible that Edelgard gasped and the thief was grateful the singer had used that moment to reach a particularly high note that swallowed her companion’s sound.

“Be quiet, do you want us to get caught?” Byleth whispered, frowning in annoyance. What a troublesome charge she had managed to get.

“I- so-sorry.” The younger girl answered, downcast. “But I think I saw my mom’s bracelet in his hand.”

“Your mom’s…”

“One of yours must have stolen it from me yesterday, after we were gone.” Her distress was growing at each word she spoke, but luckily she didn’t raise her voice anymore. “It was the only thing I had left of my mother and now…”

Byleth didn’t have to see the tears forming in her eyes to know what she needed to do next, but she sighed anyways. That girl was going to be the death of her, sooner or later, but she could not let her cry like that, right?

She knew she should be more careful and not put both of them in danger, but still. Something inside her screamed at her to not just stand still and do nothing. It was bad enough she had taken the princess away from her family to begin with. And she would love having something of her own unknown mother, too, so she could sympathize with the sentiment. Or maybe she would rather have her charge happy than complaining and downcast.

“Listen to me. You’ll walk slowly, very, very slowly, and hide behind that pillar.” Byleth whispered after she turned to face Edelgard, then nodded to the mentioned place. “And then you’ll stay put until I get there too, ok?”

“What are you going to do?” The younger child queried, suspicious. She didn’t want to be left alone, even more so when she knew nothing of the city layout or if she even wanted to go back to the palace to begin with. The fear of getting caught by guards was too much for her to bear.

“No more questions, I don’t have much time. Now go and don’t look back.” The thief instructed, afraid the song would end soon and she would not only miss her opportunity, but actually have to outrun her father while carrying Edelgard and their stash of stolen goods. She handled the basket to the princess and ushered her away with a palm, was glad when she was silently obeyed.

She wished she could wait until the princess was safely hidden, but didn’t want to leave it all to chance, thus simply started making her way in between the crowd and to where she thought her father would be. When she saw the outline of his back and his signature black leather coat, she glanced down and realized there was indeed a beautiful silver bracelet in his hand.

For some reason, fury burned inside her at that sight, almost made her dizzy at how intense it was. She had to take deep breaths in order to center herself and allow her hands and feet to become light again. Byleth was but a few feet away from him, with some people standing in her way. She could close the distance in a matter of seconds if she ran, but that would call attention, so she tiptoed around too many shoes and held herself tight like a bowstring.

One step, another… ten more and she would be able to lean forward and snatch the object away from his loose grip.

That is, if someone hadn’t had the same idea and reached him way before she did, while being too conspicuous instead of stealthy.

“Hey! Thief!” Her father’s scream rang through the crowd and she could only think about how ironic it was while she bolted behind a family that was taller than her, watching as another small girl broke from the cluster of people and ran away with the bracelet in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thief Byleth is so fun to write, even more so when Edelgard tries keeping a moral high ground and slowly realizes the world isn't as easy to understand as it seemed to be. I can imagine a princess's education being kinda biased, so that's where I'm going from, but let me know what you think about it.
> 
> Also, although I think it's might be a bit obvious, who's the thief who stole from Jeralt?  
> Thank you for reading!


	4. Giving Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Edelgard decide to go after the one who took the princess's bracelet from Jeralt. They end up getting to a rather fancy part of Enbarr, where there are many alleys inhabited mostly by children.  
> As the continue the pursuit, they talk about what they see and the meaning that experience has for them.

Byleth was relieved when Jeralt’s words didn’t completely start a ruckus, but were met with mixed reactions. Some people turned around to look at the girl who was darting away from them with nothing but a shiny object in hand, but didn’t do anything else and turned back to the discombobulated songstress as if urging her to go on and ignore it. Others echoed his scream and moved away, as if afraid of being robbed by more kids, whereas a few gave a wide berth and watched as Jeralt tried running after her.

All in all, she decided it was best to stay put and hope Edelgard had abode by her words, keeping herself hidden behind the pillar in spite of the commotion. She winced while thinking about what she would say to the princess in regards to the bracelet, but figured it would be better to tell the truth and then talk her into pursuing the little girl as well.

They would have to wait, of course, as things would go awry if they ran into her father. The thief peeked through some adults standing in her way and realized perhaps it wouldn’t be that much of a problem to outpace him, as his steps were disoriented and clumsy, causing him to trip too often. That, alongside the fact he was still visible while the unknown girl had already vanished from plain sight, made her sigh and think there might be hope for them. A conscious, sober Jeralt was a force to be reckoned with, but in his drunk state he was no better than a prattling baby learning how to walk.

The musicians had resumed their performance once her father fell with a somewhat final thud and refused to stand up, which elicited some laugher from the audience – a few even wondered in whispers if that were part of the show. Byleth had conflicting thoughts about the whole ordeal, a part of her too wired up on aiding him whenever that happened and alcohol got the best of him; the bigger, louder portion of her brain yelling at her to take that opportunity and get away from there before a guard or two could show up and make things worse for her and the princess.

Plus, now they had a (fellow?) thief to pursue.

Her mind was made after that. She slowly, gently edged from the crowd as the singing became more aggressive, more passionate even, touching Byleth’s mind in a different form. Some grownups were bawling their eyes out, which made her smirk and take the opportunity to snatch a purse here and there. It was too easy to do what she had always done when they were that distracted by the woman on the stage, the previous threat of thieves doing nothing to alarm them there could be more in their midst.

When she reached the pillar, she sighed in relief upon finding Edelgard still there. She was sitting down on the floor and leaning her head against the column for support, eyes closed as she enjoyed the song and hummed along. Her enraptured expression was quite something, a contrast to how scared and frazzled she had looked ever since they had first met. Even in sleep she hadn’t seemed so relaxed; seeing her like that, completely unguarded and unafraid, brought a smile to Byleth’s lips.

That was what she wanted after all, wasn’t it? To make sure that girl was safe and sound, unharmed. As she crouched, studying her up close, she vowed to herself she would do her best to achieve that goal, no matter what it took.

A second later she frowned, wondering where those thoughts had come from. They had known each other for less than a day, yet something about the princess made those things crawl at her, feelings she had never experienced before. Sure, so she had protected her father and other Blade Breakers throughout life, but that was what she was supposed to do, right? As a fellow thief and part of their gang.

Now, there was no such bond between her and Edelgard, but the desire to help and safeguard was there anyways, if not even stronger. Which was confusing and completely weird, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Yes, maybe she had been right before and she was already turning into an adult.

Perhaps sensing she was being watched, the princess opened her eyes and had to stifle a gasp of surprise at how close Byleth was to her. Her cheeks flushed again, a pretty tone of pink, her earlier relaxation giving away to worry, clenched shoulders and hands balled into fists. The thief felt a bit disappointed at that, as she wished to see her calm stance more often.

“I hm… I was afraid for you.” Edelgard confessed as Byleth failed to emit a sound and simply stayed there, looking at her with those eerie indigo eyes. “When they yelled ‘thief’ and so on, that is.”

“Thanks, but wasn’t me.” The older girl answered, trying to keep her face blank even though she felt sad at the news she now had to deliver. “Someone else came and stole from my father.”

“S- so you mean to say… the bracelet is lost?” The words were spoken in a broken voice, as her lilac eyes widened at that.

“We’ll get it back. Little girl who took it couldn’t be older than you.” She shrugged in order to instill a sense of security, of hope, as if the task wouldn’t be too much trouble at all. She sprung to her feet and offered a hand, which the princess accepted while frowning.

“What is it with kids being bandits these days?” She tittered in frustration, straightened her clothes and seemed to all but forget the opera she had been enjoying a few seconds ago. “Ugh, and this would not have happened if your people had not stolen from us!”

“I don’t think it’s our fault.” That was said in an easy-going way, as she wondered if her companion expected her to apologize. As far as she was concerned, the bracelet was never in her hands specifically, thus there was nothing for her to feel guilty about. “Again, the palace should have better security. And you gotta hide your stuff better if you don’t want it gone.”

“How dare you imply –“

“Listen, do you want it back or not? That thing’s nothing to me but it’s your treasure. So… you can stay here yelling at me or we can look for the girl who has it – and guess what, she isn’t me.” Byleth said, a bit irked by that entire confrontation and on how that would get them nowhere. If she weren’t feeling… something in regards to Edelgard, she would leave her to fend for herself right there and then.

The younger child sighed, trying to get a better hold of her anger. She had promised herself to be kinder to her protector and that was no way to express gratitude. It was irrational of her to pinpoint who was to blame when the bracelet was still lost, probably being ransomed someplace else as they wasted time fighting. Seeing her mother’s last and only gift for her in another person’s hands had taken her off guard; knowing it had been taken again had been the last straw.

Yet there was not the time to keep crying instead of taking a stance. She looked at the ground, an admission of guilt, and gave a small nod. “Sorry.”

Byleth sighed, placing both hands on her hips. “Stop apologizing and yelling at me when things go wrong. I’m not here to hurt you, Eldegard.” She said as she slipped the small money purses she had stolen into their basket.

The princess was too ashamed and sad to correct her, yet couldn’t deny those last words felt nice, too. “Let us go, then.” She said, finally looking up at the older girl and keeping to herself a remark about how stealing money from others wasn’t nice at all. It was neither the time nor the circumstance to try teaching a thief not to do her job, after all.

They didn’t break into a run at first, but walked casually around the crowd exactly as the songstress reached what sounded like a conclusion to her rather long part. Instruments died down as well and their melodious sound was replaced by a lot of clapping and hoots. The Mittelfrank Opera Company was known for doing displays like that every now and then, gracing the population with a sneak peek into their next installment. It was a great way to distract people as well as give them a reason to buy some tickets no matter how expensive they were.

A growing ovation reached them even as they retreated and from that vantage point they could see the singer bowing as her name was repeated over and over again in adoration. When Edelgard could finally discern what was being said, she gasped and her eyes widened in understanding.

“Yes, that is her name. Manuela Casagranda, the songstress and diva of the Mittelfrank. Uncle has always been so fond of her talent and praised her to high heavens. Now I see why.” She whispered, turning back to glance at their makeshift stage for the last time.

As if on cue, or hearing her name being mumbled by the child, the woman turned and glanced directly into her eyes. There was a warmth and smile in her face that made the princess look away at how strong they were, even more so when the woman winked at her in an affectionate manner. That reaction, an almost fear of being seen in that sorry state, wasn’t lost on Byleth, who tightened her grip on her hand and marched away, somewhat furious at the entire thing.

But… no, wrath wasn’t the right way to call that emotion. She didn’t know enough in order to properly name it, but didn’t like the way she felt. It was almost as if Edelgard had betrayed her, though nothing of the sorts had even occurred. The songstress had only met her stare and gave a wink, for crying out loud.

“You are hurting me.” The younger girl whined, having to hurry in order to keep with the thief’s fast paces as they went away from the plaza and into a still unexplored part of Enbarr.

Byleth huffed and winced once she realized she had indeed been gripping her small hand with much more strength than it was necessary. What was wrong with her? She loosened up and was confronted with an inquisitive, worried glance instead of the angry one she had expected to receive.

“Is everything alright?” The girl asked after a while, trying to get a grasp of the situation by herself.

“Thought I heard someone come by behind us.” She deflected, internally rebuking herself for how awful that excuse sounded. She had never found any reason to lie, so it was no wonder the words were so flat, her attempt to divert her companion more than completely blatant.

“If you say so.” Yes, she had not bought it at all. “Do you recall in which direction the robber went?” Her voice was tentative, as if feeling guilty of triggering that response on the older girl. Not that she knew what had actually caused that, but somehow she thought it might be her fault and wondered if questioning the thief would actually be an interesting option.

“There.” Byleth pointed, her tone a bit more at ease than before. The street she had indicated was unknown, encased in between many buildings that looked old and somewhat important, even. It was a wonder a thief of all things had chosen such a busy, conceited place to make her retreat. That, added to how she had seemed to lack technique while executing the robbery, made the girl wonder if they weren’t dealing with an amateur who had simply gotten lucky. “Hm, maybe she’ll be easy to track down.”

“You are the expert here, if there is such a thing.” The princess shrugged, yet deep down felt reassured by those words and the fact another kid had taken her bracelet. It would be harder if they were dealing with grownups, but perhaps to Byleth there would be no difference at all – she had incapacitated her uncle as if her were nothing, for one.

The older girl wordlessly nodded and went on as the cheers from the crowd eventually abated, turned into shouted conversations and acclaims to the singer. Soon that sound faded and they could no longer see the plaza, but a street that seemed to go on forever. The edifices around them were indeed more ancient, respectful and imposing, almost as if they were gawking at them and deeming them unworthy of being that close. Or at least that was what it felt like to Edelgard, but one glance at Byleth’s face and she realized she was being silly.

She knew how things that spoke of a long past had that effect on people – or most people, anyways – and tried deciphering what those buildings were about. Even the individuals walking on that portion of Enbarr were dressed in different clothing, closer to the styles the princess was more familiar with. That, and the distinguished aura they exuded in simple gestures such as pacing, looking around or talking to a friend told the younger kid that it was more than likely they were in the noblest, richest part of the capital.

An information that, of course, wasn’t lost on the thief as well. “People here are a lot more like you.” She stated, pulling her companion to the side just in time for a regal white horse to pass where they had stood a few seconds ago. The rider turned to shoot them a dirty glance and even dirtier words that made Edelgard blush in both astonishment and anger. “Yeah, they think they own the street or something.”

“Not all nobles are like that.” The princess was quick to defend herself, though even to her own mind the words sounded flat and unconvincing. It was getting clearer and clearer to the both of them how little she understood the actual world, as mere hours ago she had never even fathomed that some could live in complete shambles. “Some of the royal families aid those less fortunate with regular donations.”

“Really? I never seen any of you guys getting close to poor ones. And I traveled a lot before coming here, so.” Byleth more sneered than asked. Although she knew better than to judge what people wanted to do with their lives and their riches, she couldn’t help teasing the little girl who walked alongside her, eyes darting around, doing her best to absorb all the world had to offer.

And if she wanted to grasp what the real world was really about instead of the fantastic one that had been fed to her through books and skewered lessons, the thief was more than happy to help in any possible way.

“You and your gang have been plundering all around Fódlan?” Edelgard inquired, arching her eyebrow, judgment clear in her expression and the edge to her voice. She quickly glanced away from her savior, as she did want to be her friend after all that had been done to her, but was still shocked whenever anything relating to her… immoral ways was brought up. So she used the predicament they had in hands as an excuse to keep her eyes attentively scanning the crowd in search of a child who would more than likely not belong to the whole setting.

“Sure thing. That’s what we do, after all.” The thief answered in her usual nonchalant demeanor, pondering over why that came as a surprise to the other girl at all. “What, you thought we always been around but only now decided to attack the palace?”

“How can I know? I am not a bandit to begin with and do not share your view of how things work. Your plans are as alien to me as proper grammar is to you.” She shot back, grimacing in frustration while internally cringing at how stupid her remark had been. Of course most robbers would be nomads, duh. It would be far too easy for them to get caught otherwise, and if what little Byleth had told her about the Blade Breakers were true, then they had a long, successful career to boast about.

“Agreed but at least my plans work.” The thief commented, unable to keep that point to herself and smirked when she saw the signs of barely-contained irritation flowing over her companion’s features.

She was trying, Byleth would give her that, and to the careless observer she wasn’t looking mad at all. But there was something about the corner of her lips turning down and how her forehead creased the slightest that screamed “furious” to her. While not good at expressing emotions herself – and not having the smallest interest in doing so, since it gave her an advantage in battle to begin with – she had always proved an amazingly accurate judge in regards to that. It was easy for her to divine when someone was trying to conceal irritation, sadness or mischief, as their body language signaled way too well what their true selves were going through.

That was why she relented, patted her companion’s head and added: “Relax, it was just a joke.”

“I swear, had you not saved me from who knows what thing my uncle had in store for me…” Edelgard started saying, then shook her head and sighed. It would do no good to let her mind run free thinking about adequate punishments when they should be focusing on something else. “Anyways, I do not think she would keep to the main street for long. This is too open, with too many nobles around. She would stand out and easily be spotted.”

The princess was taken aback when the older girl turned to her and smiled, this time a much wider beam than ever, then said: “Spoke like a true thief, little one.”

Her face felt too hot, as if the blood in her entire body had gone to her cheeks. First the head patting, now this. “I told you before, I am not little. Stop patronizing me.” Though it would be an understatement to say a part of her was singing in joy at that praise.

“Stop patrolling you?” Byleth inquired, looking genuinely confused in a way that made Edelgard’s heart lurch for some unknown reason.

“No, patronizing, as in… Ugh, never mind, you are too hopeless.” She snapped in order to mask how flustered the situation had made her.

That was exactly when they saw that the street around them started sporting alleys on both sides, breaks in between imposing edifices that looked dark, bleary and scaring from a distance alone. They were, of course, the perfect hiding spot for someone who didn’t want to be seen, who wasn’t exactly acting according to the law and could get punished for a reason or another.

What made the younger girl almost admit defeat and ask for them to go somewhere else seeing how many there were, a fact that made her realize they would have a long afternoon ahead of them if they were to actively pursue the girl in there.

Some faces briefly emerged from those spaces in order to gawk not at them, but at the adults who walked around in all their pomp and circumstance, measuring, accessing, visibly gauging the chances of successfully robbing someone. Those eyes scanned the two disheveled children and their basket for one second only, until something in Byleth’s hardened indigo irises made them back off and crawl back to their own safe bubbles. It wasn’t lost on Edelgard that those glances did seem to linger over her before being deflected by her companion, though, and for the hundredth time ever since leaving the palace she was thankful for not being left alone to fend for herself.

“We’ll have to go in them, one by one.” The thief announced in a stable voice, even if she assumed the princess had already figured that out after all. “And I think I remember how the girl looks like, too. There might be more lost kids around here than just her.”

“Indeed. I have seen some children on the lookout already.” Although the words left her lips with no emotion behind them, her mind shuddered to think of people her age and perhaps younger being put to such tasks, reduced to pesky robbers for one reason or another. When she realized that more than likely had been Byleth’s case as well – and still was – she couldn’t help feeling sad.

“Stay behind me always, ok? I deal with them.” The older kid said, a hand over the sword that she had retrieved from Edelgard when they met behind the pillar. She would rather not have to use it in front of such an impressionable little girl, but if it ever came to them or whoever was threatening their lives, she wouldn’t hesitate to protect her own.

Her own… she stopped midstep for a second, wondering when her mind had started counting the mysterious, bossy princess as part of her… Family? Life? Even she couldn’t tell what was the case, but if that was such then so be it. Maybe if she were able to protect this girl and return her to the palace when danger was long gone, the Emperor himself might reward her with loot, a position as Edelgard’s personal guard or even –

“Are we going to start exploring? Or have you seen some of your ilk around?” Whereas the first question was uttered in annoyance, the second was laden with ill-suppressed fear.

Nevertheless, the words did bring Byleth back to reality and away from a very strange reverie. “Nah, I was just thinking. Let’s go.”

“You should know better than to stop walking and brood over things in the middle of the street like that.” The small girl grumbled, but the thief let it slide and ushered her inside the closest alley.

The cramped space in between two old, stony buildings was dark and humid, the smell of human decay again assaulting their noses the moment they stepped away from the sunlight and into the shadows that surrounded that place. Looking up, Edelgard realized that lack of natural light resulted from the edifices roofs being larger than their structure and almost touching one another. As a result, it was as if they had walked into a pocket of twilight in the middle of an afternoon.

With the main difference being how stagnant, murky and downright smelly the air in there was, of course. She grimaced and turned her face away while an impassive Byleth took her forward, until a few forms became visible and soon were made out into human beings.

There were five children total in there and they were splayed on the floor in various angles, feet propped over bags, chests and old, almost destroyed mattresses of different colors, sizes and shapes. A little boy with dirty cheeks and murky brown eyes was sitting down on the ground, his hands inside a shiny white purse as he took out a handful of coins and proceeded to count them under an older girl’s watchful, almost reprimanding stare. He stopped and tried hiding the object behind his back when both realized there were intruders in their safe space.

“We’ve no place for you here! Stay away.” The girl yelled and Edelgard, hidden behind Byleth, wondered if she were the one in charge. Her turf of ginger hair was unkempt and wild, her dark dress too small for her developing body and clinging to her upper thighs already. There was a small dagger in her hands that looked more rusted and dull than anything else, a fact that she knew wasn’t lost on her companion.

“We mean you no harm.” The princess spoke when Byleth remained quiet, peering around her torso and gripping her hand with more strength than before. She knew it was stupid to be afraid of children, even more so given how haggard they seemed to be, but the predominant feeling coursing through her was more sadness than fear. “We are simply seeking for information. Do you happen to have seen any girl with a silver bracelet around here?”

“You speak all strange, like _them_.” Another boy said, older than the one who had been counting money. His voice dripped with venom and hatred at that last part. “Get out, we don’ know anything and we don’ like you.”

“Noble scum.” The ginger girl spat, grimacing in disgust. “Shoo before we beat you real good.”

Edelgard had grown more and more scared at ever passing second, cursing herself for opening her mouth to begin with. What was the reason for that anger directed at her? She had done nothing, only been rescued from her own house and being forced to live in weird circumstances with the one who had saved her. She hadn’t denied anyone food, nor a house, nor…

“Threaten her again and _I_ will beat you real good.”

The princess had been about to cry when she heard those words and was brought back to reality, her thoughts halting when she realized Byleth had let go of her hand in order to take a more protective stance in front of her, sword drawn and pointed to the girl who seemed to be the boss.

Tension escalated quickly, with eyes widening and more kids rising from the floor to get a better look at the situation. No one had ever defied their leader like that, ever. Mostly they had been too afraid of her weapon to simply do anything once it was drawn into the open, but not that strange, stoic girl who held a sword with too much confidence for her to be bluffing.

Even the ginger-haired kid seemed to understand she had crossed a line and would indeed be punished if she were to push matters any further. She paled while glancing at the warrior in front of her and dropped the dagger in terror, wanting more than anything to hide inside their biggest chest.

“Good. Now answer her question.” Byleth went on, realizing what effect she had had on those kids. She would rather not have to intimidate anyone, but she would not stand idle while some kid, grownup, monster or whatever tried hurting the little princess.

Which, again, was something that she could not explain and would have to think about when she had time. It was one thing for her to jump into danger without looking twice when the person involved was Jeralt, another altogether if it was a noble girl who knew nothing of the world.

“I hm…. We do-don’t see n-nobody like th-that, no.” The older girl stammered, eyes glued to the weapon and its bearer. She would rather face the Imperial guard than that cool, collected, yet dangerous-looking lass in front of her. “Sorry.”

“Fine. Let’s go.” She lowered her sword and walked backwards, her hand reaching Edelgard’s, then silently ordered her to do the same until they were out of the alley. She knew very well what an awful idea it was to turn one’s back to enemies like those, children or not.

They were almost outside again, the sun about to touch their skins when the princess woke from her stupor and yelled: “Just so you know, it is ‘We _have not seen_ _anybody_ like that’. Learn your words.”

This time she was sure she heard a giggle coming from Byleth’s mouth when they finally stepped into the main street and turned away from those urchins. 

They hadn’t expected that search to be easy, thus weren’t exactly deflated when it turned out to be the case. There were more unsupervised children living on the streets that Edelgard had thought possible, the conditions they were facing perhaps even worse than the kids they had spotted in that poor neighborhood when they first got into Enbarr. At least those had had families and unstable roofs over their heads – most of them, anyways.

One could argue the ones who had taken up residence in these alleys had been smarter, since they were close to what looked like the fanciest portion of the capital, all things considered, and one or two steps away from robbing uncaring, distracted nobles going around their business. However, the contrast it made to the fancy clothing and foods the wealthy sported around was too stark, made the princess even more aware of how unfair things were for apparently the vast majority of the population, with most of them being her age and under.

She became more and more forlorn as the day went by and the sun rode across the sky. The went on entering alleyways, with something akin to that first time repeating itself all over and no sight of the girl with the bracelet they were searching for. However, differently from that initial confrontation, fear was long gone and replaced by an ache within the young girl’s heart. It wasn’t normal for children to act in such a manner, so feral, protective and aggressive, right? What had happened that made them like that?

Their behavior was similar to Byleth’s at points, but completely at odds in most of them. Whenever her lilac eyes met those kids’, she was assaulted with the capacity for violence she saw on them, almost as if they were cornered animals waiting the right moment to strike in order to defend themselves. Their words sometimes became incomprehensible whenever the older girl was forced to threaten them or draw her weapon, her stance calm when theirs turned frantic, more attuned to an ancient survival instinct than human intelligence.

Thus once the sun was beginning to set, Edelgard was downcast and silent, a sight that disturbed Byleth to no end. At first the thief had been concerned about keeping her in the open with her dirty royal clothes, wondering if one of those nobles would happen to recognize her – or if she would remember them in case she paid attention to her surroundings instead of to whatever was going on in her mind.

However, since no one had even bothered to look at them she simply shrugged and went on walking as if she belonged there. Perhaps the grownups were really blind, or they had become accustomed to the sight of kids in tattered, stolen clothes meandering around the streets like that, in pairs, coming in and out of alleys. Again, there were no guards there – another oversight from Edelgard’s father, maybe – and she was thankful for it, since she wasn’t sure they would be able to hide in those passageways if someone were to go after them.

Now her biggest worry, apart from finding the damn girl who had taken the bracelet, was making sure the younger girl was ok all things considered. She didn’t know exactly how to ask or to start talking, as she had never been one to initiate conversations or inquire after someone’s mental state. Not that it hadn’t mattered, but because usually people went talking to her for the exact reason that her stoic nature made her exude an aura of acceptance and non-judging which was very welcome to their distressed minds and hearts.

Thus she was used to tears, to long, brooding faces and even despair. She could easily spot those feeling in other people’s voices, expressions and gestures, though she was incapable of saying how and why she had developed such capabilities. And why, in that moment, her companion’s silence spoke so loudly of sadness that it tugged at her own chest as well.

Now those reactions were a first, for sure.

“You holding up alright?” Byleth eventually queried, hoping her words had been appropriate to what she really wanted to know.

The princess was startled when she spoke and even more surprised with the question. Though the thief had been nothing but kind to her from moment one, she hadn’t expected her to ask something like that, not when to most people she seemed to act so aloof, so blankly. And if that was the case, what made her different than everybody else?

Shaking those questions away, she sighed and nodded. “Yes, I suppose. It is just depressing to see so many children on the streets, living the way they are.”

The older girl nodded; she should have expected being hit with the outside world like that would take a toll on her eventually. All things considered, she had seen a lot before breaking down in a way, though there had been some signs of it earlier.

“You said your father been lying to you. How so?”

“He comes to Enbarr almost once every week to do something related to politics. Every time he returns, he bears gifts for us.” She smiled at the recollection, being particularly fond of the armored stuffed bears he was prone to get her, or toy axes the smiths decorated to high heavens in gold and red, fit for a little princess. “Usually when that happens, we sit around him as he speaks of his day. For a while it used to be all of us, but now my oldest sister is too busy having extra classes in order to become the next in line, so she rarely has any spare time, much less to sit and hear about his adventures.

“And yes, the tales he told us were always very… adventurous, for the lack of a better word. There was always a merchant who would recognize him and offer everyone meals and drink free of charge. Or the time when he visited a neighborhood and all the little children came out of the houses to greet him and touch his crown, while the parents asked for blessings and kneeled on the street.

“There were always smiles and good luck around, plenty of food and nary a worry in the entire world. People flocking to him in order to hear his speeches, worshipping him –“

“Work shipping? What is that?” Byleth interrupted, unsure about the word. Why did the girl have to use such difficult terms?

“No, no. _Worshipping._ That is, hm… treating him as if he were Sothis herself, you know?” Usually she would be cross at the interruption, but at that time she was just too sad to feel anything else. Talking about her father, the Emperor deceiving them for their entire life was making her head ache.

“Who’s Sothis?” The older girl deadpanned, head tilted in curiosity. She was even more puzzled when the princess’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief at that, as if she had committed some form of major crime and should be incarcerated for life.

Well, she kind of had by taking the princess away from the Enbarr palace, but that was a matter for another discussion.

“What do you mean, you do not know who Sothis is? The Goddess who watches over Fódlan and every single person alive?” Her voice dwindled as she remembered those kids and the state they were in. How could a benevolent being such as the Goddess actually allow such things to happen to little ones like them?

Apparently Byleth had the same thought, for she uttered: “Well she’s probably overworked, cause too many people been needing her help and not getting it.” She internally rebuked herself from saying it, as Edelgard’s eyes became dull and lifeless again. The whole thing had probably been eating at her as well. “But no, never heard of her before. About your father though…”

“No, that was the gist of it.” Edelgard began again in a small voice, almost as if she regretted saying anything. “He made us think Enbarr was a paradise and that everyone had a great life in here. That poverty was something only the Kingdom territories were facing due to their inability to govern and administer resources, or the Alliance since their ruling nobles are anything but allied after all. I suppose I should have known better to believe him and my tutors, but… it hurts to see it.”

It surprised her when Byleth stopped pacing and drew her into a hug. She flinched for a second, before giving in and remembering how warm she had felt during the night, with the older girl’s body so close to hers. It was strange to think of a thief as someone who liked to embrace others like that, but it didn’t mean she would refuse the gesture.

“You’re too young to know any better.” The indigo-haired girl said as she pulled away. “You never been out of the palace either, so it’s normal to trust what others say. Now you can see with your own eyes.” She motioned around herself. “World’s scary, but you’re not alone. I won’t leave you, Edelgard.”

The princess was about to open her mouth and yet again explain how to actually pronounce her name when she realized there had actually been no mistake at all. “You… said my name right. And hm… thank you.” She whispered, focusing on that instead of how warm she was feeling at the rest of the sentence as well.

Byleth’s face opened in a smile and her indigo eyes shone with it as well. The sight was something else, given how she had been shut and unreadable throughout their expeditions within the alleys, then menacing and angry when the situation called for her to take such a stance. But not inviting, friendly and even caring like in that moment in time. It made the younger girl freeze and admire the view, even while chastising herself for how rude it was to gawk.

It didn’t seem like the thief minded, though, or if she did she kept it out of her expression and just glanced back at the princess, bending her knees so they would be at the same eyelevel for once. What started out as a bout of appreciation and wonder evolved into a staring contest, with each girl trying their best to not look away due to awkwardness.

They both knew who would win from moment one, though, as the princess started feeling herself blush at every passing second and it wasn’t long before she glanced down and covered her face with both hands. That made Byleth snicker, the sound so small and fast it was easy to miss.

Edelgard had heard it, however, and spread her fingers in order to look through them at the smirking older girl. She scowled at that expression of victory, so subtle yet so clear for her to read, and slowly dropped both palms from her head. That was when she realized she was feeling lighter, a lot better than she had been some minutes ago.

“You are really insufferable, do you know that?” She mumbled, a beam coming unbridled to her own lips.

“Why’s that so?” The thief asked as she took the princess’s hand in hers again and resumed walking. The sun was dipping down the horizon, coloring the sky with hues of orange, pink and purple as stars began showing up as well.

“Because, hm… Never mind that. We have a bandit to track down.” Edelgard announced, puffing her chest in a new display of courage while trying to hide away the fact that those countless language classes she had attended weren’t enough for her to find the exact words to describe the older girl. 

“Yeah, she has to be close. Or somewhere else, you never know.” The thief agreed after a furtive glance in her companion’s direction. She was fun to be with, for a princess who knew nothing of the world but was sure the best way to solve things was with fancy speeches.

“I do hope you are right and that she is around here indeed.” She said, then sighed once they got closer to another alley, one of the last in that rather long street, and took a first step inside it.

Everything looked the same to begin with, aside from the fact that it had gotten even darker and there were no lanterns close to give the place some light. As a result, the atmosphere was ominous and heavy since there was no sound to be heard in there. So much so that Byleth had half a mind to turn away and tell her charge to look somewhere else.

That was exactly what would have transpired, if a moment later that eerie lull hadn’t been broken by running feet and a tackle to her left, a small squeak and the feeling of Edelgard’s hand leaving hers. It didn’t take a genius to understand what was going on.

She had half a second to summon a small fire ball on her palm with a simple spell and let her eyes adjust to the new light and what she was being faced with. Whirling on her heels, she saw her companion a bit closer to the street than they had been before.

The princess was holding on to their basket of stolen goods for dear life while another thief tried prying her away. It was the little girl from before, though in comparison she was taller than Edelgard yet weaker as well. She looked too thin, the arms attempting to wrap themselves around the basket akin to branches, her dirty, matted hair almost glued to her face and clothes so old it was almost as if they were about to rip for the last time.

Luckily by then the street had been empty, though again Byleth was pretty sure no one would have noticed or cared about two girls inside an alley fighting over an item like that. She allowed herself to stand her ground for a moment, as it was clear they were on a stalemate of sorts and there was no way the unknown thief would be able to overpower the princess given her frail state. That was why she cast her light inside the alleyway and took stock of the place around her.

It was no different from the others they had raided throughout the day. There were chests and small purses here and there, as well as trash and remnants of older clothing that no longer could be used as such. The one stark difference, one which made Byleth’s eyes widen, was the presence of a grownup.

The woman seemed to be even feebler than the girl fighting out there. Her eyes were closed and she leaned against a wall, barely able to keep a sitting position and slowly falling to the ground. Her brown, equally messy hair stood in curls and waves as it fell down her shoulders in abandon. She was pale, too pale to signal there was life in that body; despite that her breaths were present albeit in a shallow, too fast pace for it to be considered helpful.

As if sensing her stare, the woman moaned and stirred, opened half-lidded, moss green eyes that were too unfocused to actually discern shapes and people around her. Maybe she had heard the sound of conflict or something else had shaken her to wakefulness, but regardless of the reason she looked barely alive at all.

“Doro… thea?” She managed to utter in an almost inaudible whisper, her cracked lips opening the slightest in order to emit that sound. Byleth angled her body towards her, solicitous, wondering if there was something she could do to alleviate her suffering at least and was about to reach a hand when a yell drew her attention.

“Byleth, help me!”

Edelgard’s voice was strained and she abruptly turned around to access the situation again. The princess had completely subdued the smaller girl, pining her to the ground and taking hold of her wrists, but she was struggling and threatening to overthrow her at any given second. Thus the thief approached and squatted, gently placing her own fingers on those flimsy wrists.

“We do not... want to hurt you.” Edelgard spoke as she still held her in place, eyes wide and concerned with what she had seen – even more so when Byleth had illuminated the alley and she had spotted the grownup as well. What was going on there? “Just give back my bracelet and we shall let you go in peace.”

“It’s mine now. Mine!” There was so much rage in her emerald eyes that even the older girl was taken aback with it. “Let me go and get out.”

“Hey, listen here – “ The older girl began, only to be cut off immediately.

“Why should I? You’ll rattle me off to whatever freaking guard you can find and then –“

“No.” Edelgard stated, simple and calm. She had let Byleth in charge of subduing the girl and edged away to the discarded basket, which lay half open on the cold ground. There, she searched for the extra piece of pastry she had been given earlier and turned back to kneel in front of the two girls with the food in hand. “You are ok. You will be ok, at least. We really do mean you no harm. Here.” She beamed and extended her hand with the shortcake in it, the same way she had used to reason with her younger siblings when they were giving her trouble close to meal times.

All thoughts of retrieving her bracelet at that exact time were forgotten, but she knew from experience that pressuring the matter would do no good and cause the stranger to become hostile towards them.

Like magic, the girl stopped squirming under Byleth’s grip and stared at the peace offering as if it were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life – the princess could sympathize with the feeling after a sole day living outside of the palace. Thus she knew she couldn’t even imagine what that urchin had been through already.

“Dorothea, is it?” She said, her voice and eyes at once no longer blank and actually mimicking the same soothing quality she had heard on the princess’s tone a few seconds ago. “Come eat, I dunno about you two but I’m really hungry.”

As if on beck and call, Edelgard’s belly chose that moment to make a loud noise as well and the unknown girl couldn’t help but laugh at that, even in the precarious situation she was in. Slowly, as Byleth let go of her, she sat up and eyed those two strangers with both caution and curiosity. It was interesting that she hadn’t been attacked or pressed about the damn bracelet by the smaller kid, but she decided to remain on guard even if they proved to be trustworthy.

“We have more than plenty to share.” The princess said as guilt and worry still churned inside her chest. Never had she thought she would be faced with people in that position, barely surviving in the streets of the city her oldest sister would one day call her own. No, such a thing couldn’t go on happening, could it? And perhaps…

Well, she had never heard something about one right erasing a wrong, but maybe the Goddess would look at them with mercy if they were to share their stolen goods with someone that seemed to need them way more than they did.

They moved slow at first in order to not scare the one Byleth had called Dorothea. Edelgard let her take the pastry from her hands and watched in awe as she devoured it in less than five seconds, eyes watering, palms shaking and a smile stretching on her gaunt face. That view made the princess’s heart flutter in sadness, so much so that she put her hand in the basket again and offered the first thing she could get, which turned out to be an apple.

“Come, let’s not stand so close to the street and eat here. Before someone can see us.” Byleth called them from a place further into the alley, where there was a wider opening and they would be able to sit in a circle. It was too close to how she and the Blade Breakers used to regroup after a meeting, when they shared meals and stories about how their stealing had gone.

The only difference being that the one adult in the whole picture had closed her eyes again upon not obtaining an answer and seemed to be asleep when Edelgard and Dorothea eventually got there and set beside the older girl, each devouring a fruit in hand, more than eager to get closer to the comfortable warmth of that little flame in her palm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So indeed it was Dorothea! There was no way to keep her out of the story, knowing she does spend part of her life living in the streets of Enbarr as well - and what better way for her to meet the girls than by stealing something so precious to the princess?  
> It was only fair to include her mother, after all, though it is sad to hear about that part her life through her supports.   
> And now to see if they stick together or end up bickering and opposing one another, I suppose.   
> Byleth slowly showing and realizing she has emotions is also too fun to write lol  
> Thank you for reading!


	5. All that was lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard and Byleth finally get to know Dorothea better, even though most of what they learn goes by what is left unsaid.  
> They decide to try helping her sick mother the next day, after some form of peace is attained in between them.

There was a lull for a few seconds while two little girls settled around the older thief, the flame she cast over a pile of old papers she had gathered from around the alley and some food. Once upon a time, she would have deemed them too close for comfort. However, that wasn’t the case anymore, not in that particular moment in time at least. If Byleth were being honest, she was actually enjoying the company of other kids, something she had been denied during her time with the Blade Breakers.

Usually whenever a child showed up at the camp, they would be sent to live with close relatives. An uncle, grandparent or older sibling would take the role of their guardian in order to keep them away from a life of robbery, the volatility and danger that came alongside it as well. Byleth had been the only exception, the one who had remained there due to both her unusual demeanor since always and the prowess she showed later on, as well as an apparent lack of relatives to leave her with. Hence her entire life had been spent around grownups, their schemes, dynamics and intricacies – although she had never complained about the matter, for it didn’t actually make a difference for her, in that moment in time she had an inkling that perhaps things would have gone another way if she had had a playmate her own age.

Or maybe not, as she had seen and interacted with children in their missions (mostly noble ones, to be fair) and never had she reacted in such a manner to them. In that moment, though, there was something inside her chest, a feeling she couldn’t really name as of then that spoke of being home, being with someone she felt comfortable with.

Byleth was awakened from her small, inquisitive reverie when an apple was offered to her. She accepted the fruit and gave Edelgard a smile that was nothing more than the corners of her lips quickly turning up, but it was what she could offer at that time. It was enough, apparently, as it made the princess beam in return.

Even as she ate, her eyes were always drawn to the ragged woman lying on the wall, not due to shock or something but for appraising her state and making sure she was still ok. Her shallow breaths set an almost steady, fast tempo as minutes went by, which made for an unsettling background noise against the almost silent street.

There were many questions in her head, things she wanted to ask Dorothea but didn’t know exactly how to word them to not sound disrespectful. Edelgard would surely be better at that, but there was no way for her to use the other kid as her spokesperson or something. So she’d have to try by herself; perhaps if she applied the same care she had been using towards the princess, she would be somewhat successful.

“What’s wrong with her?” Byleth spoke at first, her tone neutral yet low, doing her best to show respect.

Dorothea raised her head from the cake she had been devouring with great appetite and glanced first at the girl, then at the woman. In that second, her previously cheerful expression dwindled to the point that there were almost tears in her eyes. Maybe it had been better not to ask at all, or really tell Edelgard to do it for her; that was the last reaction she had wanted to elicit from the tiny kid.

“She’s sick.” The answer was simple, but behind those two words there seemed to be a lot of convoluted feelings and an even more twisted story. “I dunno how much longer she can hold on.”

“Is she your mother?” Edelgard queried, lilac eyes big and round as she regarded the woman with much more attention than she had before.

Whereas she had indeed noticed the rarity of a grownup in their midst, her focus had been solely on fighting Dorothea for their basket and retrieving her bracelet sometime soon. Now, without neither distraction at hands, she was able to fully understand their setting and its dire implications. Her heart ached again, had done so during that entire day, as she wondered if at any point in time someone, anyone at all would try helping these poor children that inhabited her city.

If only she were the next in line for the throne! If she were to become Emperor she would… she would… Words could not complete that sentence, as she wasn’t able to see an easy solution to the matter at hands. Perhaps she was too young and unexperienced in politics in order to do so, but then what were the chances she would get the same education as her oldest sister? Well… the only thing she could do was alert Marina of what was going on in Enbarr.

Who knew, if she spoke of those issues at length and begged hard enough, she would probably be heard and eventually an answer to that malady would present itself. Marina was smart, far smarter than her other siblings and even her father to some extent, so maybe there was hope after all.

“Yeah, she is.” Dorothea spoke, sniffling. “Hard to make her eat or drink something these days, so.”

The princess put a hand over the other girl’s and squeezed, trying to not take it to heart when that gesture was received by a hiss and a fast retreat. She couldn’t remember her mother at all, as according to her father she had left the Empire one or two years after Edelgard was born. She had no idea what was worse, her own predicament or Dorothea’s; seeing one’s own parents suffering must be heartbreaking to say the least.

“Where is your dad, then? Is he still out there gathering supplies for you?”

The scowl she got did chill her for good this time around, so much that her entire body clenched and she wondered if she had committed some heinous crime to be judged like that by that unknown child.

“My dad? That stupid, snobbish noble scum?” She turned around and spat in disgust, watching as those words and her act made Edelgard flinch by its intensity. Good. Time to show that child her ilk wasn’t wanted at all. “He’s the worst, but then all royals are. Same goes for you.”

“What? We have barely met and all I did was try to get back what is mine to begin with.” The princess bristled, wondering why she was always being treated so poorly due to her status and how that was enough to get her into trouble. There she was, sharing food with a girl who apparently wanted her gone – or dead. “You do not even know our names.”

“Don’t care about them either, or to what the hell a kid like you is doing out and about so late. And in that state.” She used her free hand to indicate Edelgard’s appearance and smirked when the girl’s eyes widened and she blushed due to visible embarrassment. “You’re all the same and deserve to rot in hell. Go back to your bedtime, little –“

“Stop.”

Byleth’s single word, followed by her act of placing one reassuring palm on the princess’s forearm and a restraining grip on Dorothea’s, made both of them instantly obey and look away from each other, ashamed. She waited for a while before removing her hand from the latter, but used her thumb to caress Edelgard all the same. The gesture wasn’t lost on the other girl, who felt angry at that display of affection and the fact that she was being kept from it, again.

No matter where she went, it seemed that she would always be shunned, unwanted. Even in between children, or at least so it seemed to her in that particular moment.

“Why are you even helping her? You don’t look like nobility.” Dorothea inquired in a scathing voice, trying to shy away from those anxiety-inducing thoughts. It would do no good if she were to fall in her usual spiral of desperation due to something so minimal like that.

“I’m a thief, like you. And I’m the reason she’s here.” The older girl stated, relieved when the princess finally resumed eating even though her eyes were downcast. “Guy you took the bracelet from is my father.”

“That makes no sense at all but fine. Tomorrow I’ll sell it and get some money for me and mom.” She gloated, watched from the corner of her eyes as Edelgard squirmed and turned to her with startled eyes. Oh, it was just so easy to get that girl rattled, she almost felt sorry for how weak she was.

“We have money and can get way more without you doing that.” Byleth stated in the same monotone she used with apparently everyone except the princess.

She didn’t like the way that conversation was going, had hoped sharing their food would be enough to get the girl on their side. Apparently, her distrust for nobles had already created a chasm in between them, would keep feeding it until something else was done to make her realize not all royals were bad. But first, they’d need to figure out what exactly had made her hate them so much to begin with.

“I don’t want your stuff. You I trust but that one? She’ll do something to make me pay for what you gave me. It’s always like that with that scum and I’d be careful if –“

“You have the best speech pattern I have heard as of today. And you also seem to have a very deep understanding of nobility, or at least of how awful we are.” Edelgard accused, no longer wanting to be talked down by that stranger. She was more than thankful for Byleth’s protection, yes, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t stand her own ground. “Care to explain why?”

“It’s not hard to know how awful you are.” Dorothea stiffened, her hands shaking. Although she didn’t have too many memories of that fateful day when she was cast out after being humiliated, only thinking about the subject was enough to send her in a raging fit. “Take a look around the street and see how you dress, walk, speak and eat all nice and proper, then deny everybody else the same stuff, throwing away what you see as trash. You love being above everyone and for what? Just cause you were born into money that doesn’t make you better than the rest of the world.”

Edelgard heard that and nodded slowly, not that she was agreeing with the statement but since her mind was trying to piece together everything that mysterious girl had and hadn’t told them as of yet. It wasn’t hard for her to reach a conclusion, as she had heard maids gossiping and knew that, unfortunately, things like that happened a little too often in her circle.

“You were born to a noble father, yet he discarded you and your mother for one reason or another.” She solemnly uttered, barely over a whisper.

Byleth cocked her head while Dorothea looked to the floor, her sad eyes more than enough of a confirmation even if nothing else was said. One could only wonder how the princess had solved that mystery on her own, though it did fit everything they had seen of that girl until that point. Her clear animosity to nobles in general and Edelgard in particular had to speak of something awful that had happened in her past. Perhaps, upon seeing the princess in her tattered clothes and refined speech, she had seen herself, or someone she used to be.

Nothing more was said for a while and each child turned to their food. Dorothea had eaten more than double the amount the other two did together, but that was perfectly fine for Byleth. She had stolen over an amount that could be considered enough for the day and could always get stuff at some market or another – Enbarr was a big city with many marketplaces she could raid at random, plus it had been too easy a job to get all those things to begin with.

Which reminded her…

“You need to go change.” She softly said, turning to Edelgard and offering her the basket. When she realized that Dorothea had finally looked up from the ground and was studying them with interested eyes, she added. “Get some clothes too.”

“I don’t want your stuff.” She testily replied as the princess selected a purple dress and got up, going to a corner behind a building in order to change. The fabric she had picked up was so pretty, the tinier girl could only feel envious as she stared. What had the little noble done to deserve a protector such as Byleth and why couldn’t she have one of her own?

“Take it. As pay for us staying here.” The older thief pressed while separating the black trousers and simple blouse she had fetched for herself, in case her own clothes became too rotten in the next few days. Then she scrutinized the girl and, realizing her green eyes were open albeit reluctant, passed her the basket again.

It was a relief when that was accepted and she started rummaging through the pile of stuff in there. “You got way too much here.”

“Too easy to steal from that market. The grownups were busy and didn’t see me.” Byleth admitted, shrugging.

Dorothea giggled, holding up a beautiful crimson dress with details in silver and black. She was tempted to choose that one, but knew running in gowns was quite a hassle and the color would call too much attention to her. No, she’d need something subtle, almost boring, in order to disappear into crowds and do some pickpocketing.

In the end she settled for a pair of brown cotton pants and blouse, both nondescript and a size too large for her. They would have to make do, though, and anyways it would be a blessing for her to change clothes after so many weeks wearing the same dirty shirt and skirt. A wave of gratitude coursed through her and she was about to thank the older girl when the princess emerged from the corner, the purple dress she had chosen going down to her knees and making her uncanny lilac eyes stand out. She held the clothes she had been previously wearing in the nook of her arm and the shoes on her hands, having changed those to a softer-looking pair of black ones.

Whereas Byleth stared with a small smile that made Edelgard blush, there was no way to disregard the seething anger that emanated from Dorothea at that sight. Which made the silence that permeated them a very uncomfortable one.

“Do you, hm, like it?” The princess queried when she sat down beside Byleth, as far away from the other girl as she could. She would have to sleep with one of those swords in hand if they were indeed going to stay there, she realized with a tightening of her throat. There was no way she would feel safe close to that child.

“Yeah. Your eyes look all shiny now, being the same color.” The older girl said with a wider beam, motioning to the dress and her face. She turned to Dorothea and decided it was best to introduce them, even though that hadn’t been asked; maybe it would dissolve some of the tension in between them. “I’m Byleth and this is Eldegard.”

Almost as if on cue, a yell came from her side: “It is Edelgard!”

“You know nobles.” Byleth commented as if she were sharing a moment of camaraderie with the other thief. “It really is Eldegard, but she says it’s not.”

“What? Are you insane?” The princess fumed, her previous flush growing due to her anger. “I know my own name very well, thank you, and it is E-D-E-L-G-A-R-D.”

That little exchange, plus the spelling and the pout that followed were too much and, before she could contain herself and keep a hostile demeanor, the tinier girl found herself laughing in a way she hadn’t done in years maybe. There hadn’t been any motives for mirth and smiling for a very long time, but that bickering was too good and she couldn’t help it.

“I’m Dorothea, you know that already. And this is my mom.” She signaled to the woman whose puffs had slowed the slightest as their conversation had gone on. “She’s sleeping now, I think. Will try feeding her later on.”

“We’ll stay here for the night.” Byleth told Edelgard after they nodded.

“Yes I… heard you two speaking as I changed.” The princess admitted, visibly ruffled by that situation. But then, who could blame her? It would be hard to fall asleep next to someone that seemed to hate her with their entire essence. “Only, well… That will sound farfetched and stupid, perhaps. But I was wondering if there is any way in which we could help your mother.”

“I don’t need your help.” Dorothea hedged. “We’ve been fine living by ourselves for the longest time and the last thing I want is to own a snob any favors.”

“I do not wish to have you in my debt or anything.” Edelgard answered, keeping her voice stable even though she was starting to get angry at the whole thing. Couldn’t that girl just listen for one second before judging her? “Actually, that would be the other way around. If noble people being insufferable and unnecessarily cruel is what caused you to be in that predicament, then I, as one of the Imperial princesses, want to make amends and also offer my sentiment.”

“Imperial princess? You? Yeah, and I’m the Queen of Fódlan.” She sneered, not believing any of it at all. Sure, the girl in front of her was noble until the very last drop of her blood, but no way was she a princess. What was she trying to accomplish lying like that? “You’ve played too many make-believe games, little kid. But fair, if you wanna go out of your way to help me, then who am I to say no?” She added before the brat could say anything else.

Imperial princess, though. That was something she would be laughing about for a very long time, she knew. Maybe one day she would steal a very beautiful gown and wear it, then go around Enbarr proclaiming she was one, too. Maybe that would be fun and who knew, if she spoke the right words and had her hair styled the right way, maybe a family would even consider taking pity on her. Or they would do the same as always and simply stare at her in contempt and disgust.

Which, she realized a moment later, was probably what she had been doing to Edelgard all along. Some guilt followed that thought, but not enough to deter her from stopping that. She had her reasons, after all, reasons that no one would understand unless they had been on her shoes.

“Thanks, Dorothea.” Byleth said, internally grateful the smaller girl hadn’t believed that claim. It wasn’t a good idea for any of them to go around announcing just how noble the kid actually was, not even to that strange ally they had just made. She tugged on the princess’s hand and went on: “We should sleep and think about what to do tomorrow then.”

“You know the city layout better than we do, I am afraid.” Edelgard said as she lay down against the wall, trying to resist the urge to ask the older thief for an embrace again. She couldn’t appear weak in a time like that and _would_ sleep by herself on the cold, hard floor, no matter how long it took. “Do you know where we can find pharmacies or apothecaries? Perhaps they would have some medicine that can work for you mother.”

“Yeah, there are a few here and there. We’ll talk more tomorrow.” Dorothea curtly answered, lying on the opposite wall and as far away from the little noble as she could. Not that she thought the girl had it in her, but she would rather not wake up with a sword on her throat. “Sleep tight.”

“You as well.”

The three closed their eyes and tried their best to at least slumber. Byleth, a little further from Edelgard, was unable to do so due to how her lifetime as a thief had trained her to be hyper alert to small noises here and there, especially when they spoke of movement in the street. She was constantly jolted awake by steps that came too close to their alley, or Dorothea’s mother breathing a bit deeper than before and the sounds of shifting when one of the other girls moved around, trying to get to a better position.

That was pretty much the case for Edelgard, who never in her life had to sleep in such circumstances and couldn’t find a position to better adjust to them. The floor was too rough for her, so that ten minutes spent in one position were enough to make her bones ache for being in contact with the hard surface. Cold seeped from it and into her skin as well, so that soon enough she was trembling and her mind couldn’t stop complaining about that setting, or the predicament she was finding herself in. The flames in the middle of the alleyway did nothing to warm her and, as much as she wanted to creep closer to them, she would rather keep her distance from Dorothea. It’d be better to freeze to death than die at her angry hands, surely.

She would indeed have marvelous stories to tell her siblings the day she saw them again. Even more so now that another thief had been added to the mix and her own status as a princess had been put into question by that girl.

Sometimes it was all so much she wondered if she weren’t having a weird mixture of dreams and nightmares running together, but everything was too real, too stark in colors and sensations for it to be a mere figment of her slumbering mind. She remembered thinking the same that morning, when she had woken up in the woods and asked for Hubert, but all had been in vain. It was not a dream. She was actually having to live in the streets of a city she had never explored before in order to avoid her uncle and his recent, unexplainable changes.

And her only shields against a world that seemed too cruel, too real and nothing like what she had thought before, were her sharp tongue and Byleth. The former was more prone to putting her in danger than saving her, whereas the latter was a thief and could one day simply decide she was not worth her trouble and leave.

Goddess, if there was one sole thing she could ask for, it was for Byleth to not leave her.

Almost as if on cue, she felt a hand delicately encasing her shoulder. Turning around, she saw the older girl looking inquisitively at her, head cocked to the side.

“Can’t sleep?” She whispered as Edelgard got to a sitting position and rubbed the sore hip she had been leaning over. That gesture wasn’t lost on her, either. “Floor’s too tough, right? Or you’re too small.”

She promptly ignored the last part of the sentence. “Yes, it is difficult to do so here. But it will be ok, I only need to get used to this.” She muttered back, trying to act brave and not as if she had been mentally complaining for the last few minutes. “And you, what is keeping you awake?”

“Sounds mostly. Father always told me to be on guard and all that.” She was used to not sleeping throughout the entire night or having to go for missions just as the sun went down. Although Jeralt had tried making her stick to a sleep schedule when she was younger, that went downhill the moment people realized how useful she could be in their heists. That, plus how noisy their merry band could be sometimes, had sealed her destiny as a light sleeper.

“Perhaps if you go further into the alleys they will not bother you so much.” The princess mused, then yawned and shivered. She looked away then, a bit embarrassed by letting the other girl see her body’s signs of distress.

“I’m fine with patrols.” She leaned forward and captured Edelgard’s hand in her own. “You though, you’re not. Come, we can sleep together like yesterday.”

“Oh, hm… are you… are you sure about that?” The smaller girl stammered; although the thought had been in her mind, she didn’t think it a proper thing to ask at all. Besides, she didn’t want to bother her with such silly matters as her being cold and sore. But yes, it was undeniable how much safer she would feel with Byleth’s arms around her. “I do not want to impose.”

“I dunno what that means but yeah, no worries.” She shrugged, gave a faint smile that indeed eased the princess’s concerns about the whole deal. “You complicate stuff sometimes.”

Edelgard grunted as she scooted closer, then gingerly sat on the thief’s lap. She intended to lie down slowly, yet Byleth pulled her into an embrace that placed her head over the other girl’s chest, her own hands settling on her sides for balancing. Once they both adjusted themselves and really hugged, the younger kid closed her eyes and felt some warmth coming her way, lulling her to sleep.

“G’night, Eldegard.”

She had no energy left to correct her, thus simply accepted the name. “Good night, Byleth. And thank you.”

A few moments later, when slumber was indeed about to take her under and she felt her conscience dancing around, she had one second to mumble almost incoherently: “How odd. Your heart beats either too slow, or not at all.”

_Dreaming already_ , the older child decided after she glanced down and felt her small body slacking, finally relaxing and wielding to sleep. She might not be the smartest person alive, but how could one live without a heartbeat? What a silly thing to dream about, she thought with a guffaw, then closed her eyes and let the wall behind her take most of their weight.

Morning came too soon for the three of them, or at least they thought so as some light got into the alleyway and shook them awake at once. Dorothea was the first to stir and, upon opening her eyes, was met with a direct view of the two other girls hugging, bodies pressed close, small smiles on their lips.

At first she didn’t know exactly what she was feeling about it. Was there some envy at the royal girl who yet again had gotten more than she deserved? Absolutely. Was she angry she had been denied that same pleasure and gotten to sleep on the cold floor just like every other day? Definitely. But she would be lying if she said there wasn’t any… longing as well. How nice would it be to be there with them, warm and comfortable in such an embrace?

Before she could notice it, there were tears in her eyes at the thought of being cared for like that. Not that she would spill them – and if she did, it wouldn’t be in front of those two strangers – and at that time she resorted to furiously wiping them away and getting to a sitting position.

The sound of her shifting, though subtle, was enough to make Byleth’s blue eyes open and regard her as if she had been awake before. She wondered if that was the case or, as a thief, the older kid just had good senses like that, internally hoping it was the latter and not the former. It would be stupid for her to be seen wanting a hug and crying over it. Thus Dorothea nodded at her and was rewarded with a thin smile too, but that lingering gaze didn’t leave her for a very long time.

They stood like that, emerald irises on indigo ones, for what seemed like some minutes. Until a moan came from their side and both turned in time to see the brown-haired woman stir and glance around, her enfeebled stare dancing on the alley and finally setting on her daughter’s expectant ones.

“Dear… who are… these?” The woman’s voice, albeit raucous, was somewhat melodious. That sound and the uttered words came as a surprise to Byleth, who had spent the previous night wondering how conscious that grownup still was, if at all.

“Hey mommy.” Dorothea sprang to her feet and settled beside her, a reassuring beam on her face and a piece of bread from the basket already in her hands. She has set aside some food before going to sleep, in case something happened during the dawn and she had to feed her mom then. “They’re… friends.” She answered, uncertain of how to describe them. “How’re you feeling?”

“You don’t seem… too sure.” She commented, trying to raise her hand and set it on her daughter’s hair. However, she was too weak to do so and failed halfway, had to resign herself to placing it over the girl’s arm instead. “I feel the same, honey.” She stopped from saying more when a coughing fit took her over, though she was barely able to do it at all.

“Here, have something to eat.” She offered the bread lodged in her hand, trying her hardest to not let her mother see how much it was affecting her. How she had been about to cry for a different reason but now realized there were other, more important matters to attend to.

“Not hungry… but help me out. I know… you worry. I’ll be fine, Thea.” Those empty, opaque green eyes met hers and did their best to convene some hope. It was the one thing she could do now, she thought as she chewed on the small slice of bread her daughter had gently placed on her mouth.

Both understood those were empty words. Even Byleth, now holding an awake, silent Edelgard, could hear what was etched underneath the promise that was made, the quiet vow that a parent would do all they could to protect a child. Well… at least that was the premise, right?

“Where did all this… come from?”

“They brought it.” Dorothea answered, blushing the slightest as she remembered how mean she had been to one of the girls. Although in her mind she had had the right of it, there was no way her mom would ever let her get away with it if she as much as dreamed she had acted that way.

Slowly, the woman raised her head and took as steady a look as she could at the newcomers, her eyes resting the longer on Edelgard’s. There was something about that little girl that she couldn’t exactly place, but was too familiar to her. Well, her mind hadn’t been the same ever since she had gotten severely sick almost two months ago, so it could be she was imagining things.

Because if she weren’t… then that lilac-eyed, pretty kid was way too similar to her dearest, former mistress’s daughter. The one she was supposed to take care of when Anselma was told to leave the Empire and procure shelter in the Kingdom before things could even begin stirring. Yet matters became complicated when her and her own child’s status as nobles started being questioned and only took a downward spiral as the years went by.

But no… surely she was hallucinating again. There was no way little Edelgard von Hresvelg would be in an alley of all places.

“Thea honey. Would you check my temperature later?” She mumbled, closing her eyes as she felt sleep taking her over again. It had been weeks since the last time she had been able to stay awake for that long. Her wondering about those two newcomers had completely sapped her energy and she should have known better and put those thoughts aside before they even began.

“Sure, mom. Please do rest, I’ll have some more food for you when you’re up again.” Dorothea nodded, caressing the woman’s deadly pale cheek with her thumb. “I love you.”

“I… love you too, sweetheart.” Her whisper was almost too silent for her daughter to hear, as a deep slumber took her under and her body slackened against the floor and the wall she was leaning on.

Dorothea kept petting her for a while, trying to comb brown hair so alike her own yet dulled by sickness, her fingers getting tangled into knots that she undid with practice and patience. More than an act of care, that was her way to become grounded again, to avoid thoughts that would make her curl into a ball and cry for the rest of the day if she allowed them to run rampant. No, she had to be strong. For her mom, the once vibrant Cerys Arnault that had taught her everything she knew, who had tickled her until she was breathless, who chased away nightmares and cherished her with ribbons, stuffed bears, sweets and comforting hugs.

Perhaps losing those things had hurt even more than losing her home, her status and her soft bed. She missed hearing her mother sing to her, laugh with her, just be with her. And that absence was something that no bracelet, meal or riches would ever bring back or substitute.

She flinched when small hands encircled her torso and a cheekbone came to rest on her back, wanted to pull away yet at the same time found herself too emotional to actually deny being touched in such a form.

That is, until that person spoke and she realized who it was.

“I am sorry, truly.” The so-called princess sounded distressed, as if she had an inkling on what she was feeling and thinking about. “If I can help with something, anything at all…”

That sign of pity, plus the hatred she already felt towards that girl due to all she represented, were enough to make something come alive inside Dorothea. She forcefully shoved her away and was actually satisfied to hear her surprised yelp and a thud when she hit the ground.

“Shut up. I don’t need _your_ help.” She yelled, focusing on how angry she was in order to walk through the sadness still beating inside her heart. “Don’t you ever touch me like this.”

Byleth had been watching the scene unfold from the sidelines, but took a tentative step in the other thief’s direction, hand on the dagger she kept close to her all the times. Her progress was stopped when a small hand closed around her ankle and she glanced down to see a resigned, levelheaded Edelgard.

“There is no need for that.” The younger girl said, shaking her head. “She is in pain, that is all.”

“Are you ok though?” Byleth queried, one eye on her charge and the other on a surprised Dorothea. Apparently she had been expecting to be confronted, not understood.

“Yes, do not worry about me.” She said, wiping scraped palms on her dress and sitting up. “You may not want my help, but perhaps I may be of use to you.” She went on, lilac eyes defiant when they met the other child’s piercing green ones. “I can talk to apothecaries and distract them while you gather what you need for your mother, or something.”

“Why are you so hell bent on helping me, even after I told you I don’t want anything to do with you?”

“I have never met my mom. I do not know what it is like to see a parent growing ill, but I can relate to the emptiness of not having one. And believe me, that is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. So let us save her while we still can instead of wasting time fighting like babies.” Edelgard confessed, accepting the hand Byleth offered her and getting to her feet at last.

“You’re the one making everything worse.” Dorothea sneered, yet threw her hair over her shoulder and nodded. “There’re some pharmacies not too far from here. I’ll take you there. And after that, you’re free to go on your way. I don’t wanna spend another night with the likes of you.”

“As soon as you give me back my bracelet, we will leave you be.” Edelgard answered, more than understanding the sentiment. All she had wanted was her own memento back, not to be stuck with a kid who probably didn’t care the slightest if she died.

“Of course.” She retorted, though it wasn’t lost on the other girls how she rolled her eyes and her voice was dripping with sarcasm. As if she would give up something that precious to begin with.

They fell into step after that, leaving the alley in a line lead by Dorothea, then Byleth and finally Edelgard. The older thief still held the princess’s hand, more out of comfort than necessity. Both had grown used to that contact and didn’t want to let go at all.

As expected, the street they emerged into wasn’t completely overrun with horses, carriages and nobles meandering to and fro, as the day had just begun and the sun was still shy over the horizon. There were some adults here and there, but the clothes they wore weren’t as fancy and their brisk, harried walk made them wonder if those weren’t servants instead of royals after all.

The newcomers followed Dorothea up the street, to a part they hadn’t gotten to explore yesterday and was laden with more astounding houses and ancient-looking buildings. That view ended up distracting the little princess, who found some similarities between that architecture and the one she grew up with inside the palace.

“You’re gonna sell that, right?” Byleth whispered to the other thief, trying to make sure her charge wouldn’t hear that at all.

“Yeah. I need the cash and don’t wanna owe you.” She explained, eyeing the distracted noble in disdain. She wouldn’t survive one day in the streets, that was for sure, and should thank the Goddess above she had found Byleth. If only someone would come for her as well, a warrior who sworn to protect her no matter what…

“That’ll be hard. Sorry to say but no merchant’ll take you serious. They’ll say it’s a fake, something you stole and worth way less than it does.” She reasoned, as she had seen adults being treated like that. “You’re a little kid with a nice thing like that, well, either no one’ll even look your way or they’ll pay minimum.”

Dorothea had to force her feet to keep on moving as she considered those words. Oh. Unfortunately, they made too much of a sense to her as well – why would an adult consider what a child had to say or sell, especially given her current state? Sure, changing clothes had helped somewhat, but it was a far cry from how a noble kid, one who could actually own such a bracelet, would look like.

The only one among them who could pull such a look, unfortunately, would have absolutely no interest in doing so and selling the jewelry at all.

“It’s useless then.” She said, glancing down in anger again. Had it been there with her, she would have thrown the thing in the middle of the street and order both girls to leave her be, but unfortunately she had made the mistake of leaving it hidden in the alleyway, close to her mom.

“Just give it back to Eldegard and you’ll get rid of us too.”

“How many times do I have to say that it is Edelgard?” The princess snapped, her attention back to them since she had heard her name – or that grotesque version of it.

To her surprise, Byleth turned to stare at her and beamed, then patted her on the head with her free palm. “Cute.” She simply said and watched as all traces of anger instantly vanished from her face and she blushed, averting her gaze from the older child and Dorothea’s piercing, accusing glare.

After that they went on in a rather awkward silence, though the older kid was still grinning at that last interaction and on how her companion’s hand twitched ever so often in her own. The ample street, framed by pale houses on each side, soon became wider and gave away to a new plaza, a circular one surrounded by luxurious-looking shops on all sides.

They watched as those stores opened, displaying all sorts of products for sale. From the most exquisite, expensive clothes they had ever seen in their life, to tea bags and toys that must be made of gold and books that certainly were written in it, there was nothing that could not be found in that place, assuming one had the money to indulge. And sure enough, on the opposite side of where they were at and close to a smaller street, there was a pharmacy so big it wouldn’t surprise them if there were an actual hospital inside.

“This is the hugest apothecary I have ever seen.” Edelgard stated, transfixed by how pristine it looked on the outside, all done in white marble, carved with symbols she recognized from textbooks as the various crests one could wield. “Oh look, my Crest of Seiros!” She exclaimed, pointing to a particular pattern next to the doorway.

Dorothea scowled and her hands turned into fists. Of course that little self-proclaimed princess had a crest as well. Was there anything else she needed to know, any other fact she was missing in order to hate her even more? “Who cares. Let’s go in and get what we need. Don’t say anything stupid.”

She marched in front of the other two, almost stomping her way in and actually making some early clients glare at her. Although she and her mom had been on the streets for years as of now, and they had had their fair share of sickness as their bodies adapted to such inhospitable conditions, it was indeed the first time she had actually raided that particular pharmacy. Usually she stuck to the ones located in poorer neighborhoods, both for fear of being cornered and since their previous maladies had been simple enough to heal with the right herbs or vulneraries.

When Cerys’s affliction began, they had done the same as always and smuggled whatever they could to ease her symptoms. For a while it seemed to work, as her health did improve and the coughing subsided. However, less than a week later everything returned and worse, as if the illness had simply been lying dormant while gathering more strength for another attack. After that second bout, she had never recovered no matter what they did and her vitality was sapped more and more as the days went by.

Lost, Dorothea hadn’t known what to do, the thought of losing another parent powerful enough to immobilize her. For days she forgot to eat and gather more supplies for herself, focusing solely on giving her mother all she could to ensure she would survive. The woman would have to remind her to sleep, get something for herself and go play for a bit, lest she would forego those as well.

And now… and now there she was, thinking how stupid she had been for not trying to steal from that particular place earlier. With how big and exotic their stock was, there was a bigger chance they would have the necessary herbs or magic to free her mother from her ailment.

The one thing she could do was hope it wasn’t too late for that already.

The three children went in and immediately stood out as the youngest, most weirdly dressed customers for such an early hour. Sure, most of the people around gathering herbs, reading labels and consulting small lists were servants of noble houses and shopkeepers, eager to be done with that particular task and go on with the rest of their days. Some were barely older than Byleth, yes, but their plain clothes were enough to mark them as workers. The girls, however, attracted attention for the simple fact they stood in a limbo of their own.

“May I help you with something, ladies?” The seller, a middle-aged man with snow white hair and a monocle inquired, his long black gown trailing over the floor as he walked to greet them. Unsure of what exactly they were, he curtsied. Better to be unnecessarily respectful than curt.

“I do hope so, sir.” Edelgard answered, letting years of training take the best of her in the way her voice reflected her royal status. “My mother is gravely ill and we are looking for herbs that might alleviate her symptoms and cure her of such malady.”

_So much for not saying something stupid_ , Dorothea thought as the storeowner and some other customers eyed the little girl in awe. Well, maybe that would distract them a bit. She was about to turn around and formulate a plan with Byleth when she realized the indigo-haired girl was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh, my condolences indeed.” The man retorted, internally sighing in relief at being courteous to the kids. There was no doubt in his mind they were royalty and were probably trying to make the adults around them proud. “Tell me more about this sickness, if you please, and I shall locate the best medicine possible for you.”

Now that was the tricky part. Edelgard didn’t know exactly what the woman had, only that she was completely weak, so weak she could barely eat by herself. Her breathing had been wrong too and her attempt to cough had remained as just that, a mere attempt at best. That seemed too ample and she rebuked herself for not asking Dorothea for more detail as they walked to the pharmacy, but it was too late to do so now. Time to act up and stall for time, she decided while lowering her eyes to the floor and catching a glimpse of Byleth putting all sorts of herbs into her clothes on the back of the store.

“I… It is so hard to say, sir.” The princess began, thinking about all that had happened in the last few days in order to feed her voice with some legit sadness – well, as legit as she could muster, of course. It did end up sounding like a whine, but it was the best she could do. “She has been lying in bed for days, irresponsive and in such an enfeebled state that she cannot even eat by herself.”

Dorothea had to refrain from laughing both at that display and at how other buyers had stopped what they were doing and crept closer to them, watching the kid in between thick foliage or actually crouching in order to hear her better. She had half a mind to join Byleth in the plundering, but decided she should play along and help that little act in some way. Hence she placed a careful hand on Edelgard’s shoulder and caressed her as softly as she could, though a part of her still bristled at having to touch her.

“There, there, Edie. It will be fine.” She did her best to sound intimate to the kid and also draw out her words, the way she had heard so many nobles do before having to abandon that setting.

“I do hope so, cousin.” The princess answered without a second of hesitation, her eyes actually burning with tears. “She can barely cough as of right now and… and she breathes so fast! It is almost as if she can get no air into her lungs at all and I… I do not know what to do anymore.”

It was too comical to say the least, the way she was able to coax their pity. Soon enough not only the seller, but pretty much every customer was down on their knees, offering the girl pats, coos and words of encouragement. It was getting too hard not to snicker at that deception, though a part of Dorothea was actually envious of all the attention she was getting. For that reason, she enveloped the girl in a tight hug and whispered:

“Cut it out, will you? They’ll get suspicious soon if you lay it too thick.”

At that Edelgard stopped sobbing and pulled away, drying her tears with the back of her hands. She apologized profusely and thanked them for such kindness as the other girl rolled her eyes heavenwards. That decorum was too stupid, too useless and was making them waste their precious time. Who knew how much longer her mom had, anyways.

All things considered, when they left the apothecary a few minutes after Byleth had already slipped away with her own stack of goods, Dorothea had to admit the kid wasn’t that bad.

“I thought you’d get us in danger, speaking like that.” She said, doing her best to balance the herbs and vials that had been thrown at them as well as the small bill she was carrying.

“Please, just do not say anything.” The princess retorted, rearranging things in her arms as a dull headache born from guilt made itself known. “What will my family say when I tell them I put up such theatrics in order to get medicine like that? I am a horrible person, stealing and so on. They will never let me into the army now, with a tainted record and –“

“Now I’ll ask you to shut up. I don’t care about how you’ll be grounded for life anyways, that’s on you.” She countered as they approached Byleth, who had hidden behind a pillar and was sorting through the many plants she had managed to get completely unnoticed. When the little girl beside her did wince, her discomfort clear as day, she sighed and added: “But guess I should at least say thanks for helping out. So… thank you, Your Royalness.”

“Do not thank me for doing something so vile. Only… can I please have my bracelet back so I can leave this nightmare?”

They had finally reached the older thief and she gave the slightest beam at seeing them, but it lasted less than a minute before her gaze met Edelgard’s troubled one and she became worried. Rising to her feet, she took their loads from both girls before encasing the princess’s hands in her own and asking:

“You ok? Anyone hurt you?”

“Boo, she’s fine. Just guilty at what happened, saying she’ll be disowned or something.” Dorothea shrugged, then turned to meet the troubled child’s piercing eyes. “As for your bracelet… No. I hate you still, but you’re too useful to have around.”

“Wh- what? But you promised –“

“Empty words, little baby. That’s how the world goes round and it’s time you learn something useful instead of how to speak nice.” Seeing how she had affected her, she smiled triumphantly. “Has been long since I ate so well, had new clothes and so on. You’ll stay with me and someday I’ll return your stupid thing.”

“No.” Byleth spoke up, her irises reflecting an emotion she had occasionally felt throughout life. It usually happened when Jeralt or one of the Blade Breakers was attacked and ambushed, had also shown up when that bad man had almost hurt Edelgard. Though at that moment her charge was in no physical danger, she could still feel it simmering under her skin. It was an urge to protect, yes, but something more, too.

That, and the way the older girl’s hand instinctively flickered to her dagger, made Dorothea realize she had gone a bit too far.

“Hey, hey no need for that. Sorry, I got carried away.” She said through the knot at her throat, her heart beating too fast for comfort. She should have guessed Byleth wouldn’t let that happen anyways. “Ok, I’ll give it back to you once we’re at the alley. But… It’d be nice if you stayed.” She added in a broken voice.

“You just admitted to hating me!”

“Yeah well, you helped me all the same, didn’t you? So again… thank you.” She blushed, embarrassed at having to eat her own words. It would be foolish for her to gloat and deny help. Plus, she had been alone for so long, with a sick mother to care for and nothing else to focus but on surviving. Even though she disliked the princess, she would be a fool to send them away like that, the only two who had stuck with her in the present condition. “I hm… would like to help you, too.”

“We’re safer if we stick together.” The older thief admitted, though she would keep observing the girl closer for now on. No harm could come to her charge after all. “You know Enbarr and it’s easier to steal like that.”

“Agreed. I can show you some neat stores today, if you’re interested.” Dorothea perked up, actually excited at seeing Byleth at work and wondering if she’d finally have all those things she had longed for too long, but never really gotten that good at robbing in order to acquire them herself.

“Deal.” Byleth stuck out her hand, the way she had seen her father do whenever some other band of outlaws had asked for their help. When Dorothea shook it, she turned to a downcast princess and added: “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know you will. I… trust you.” Edelgard gave a small smile as they finally picked up their loads and walked away, wondering how they could put so many herbs and vulneraries to work in order to heal that poor, sick woman who waited in that dark alley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Dorothea joins the party! I think I did say something about it last chapter, but getting to find out her life story through supports did break my heart. The thing is, I wasn't sure when exactly she was thrown out (the only information is that it happened since she failed to manifest a crest, but again, that's helpful to an extent), so why not have her live part of her life as a noble before being shunned by her father?  
> Which is why her speech is closer to Edelgard's to begin with but still. It'll be nice to write their dynamics, as I do have plans for the three little musketeers.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	6. Safety in Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three girls set about helping Dorothea's mother, even though they have zero ideas about what to do with all the herbs and vulneraries they got earlier in the day. Later on, a "walk" around Enbarr for more supplies lead them to overhearing interesting rumors about what has been going on in the Palace.

Contrary to what Edelgard thought would happen, Dorothea actually did return her bracelet the moment they stepped into the alley, just after they dropped herbs and vials where it would be safe. The rest of their trip back was short, silent and uneventful, with Byleth in between the two girls as always, her eyes more than often drawn to the other thief.

“There you go, Edelgard.” She said after crouching next to her mother and retrieving the memento, then throwing it to a brooding, silent princess. She chuckled as the girl yelped in surprise and had to scramble in order to catch it in the air, limbs flailing around as if she were the most ungracious being in the world. That sight made her day, it was too good to see a noble being that clumsy.

“T-thank you… I suppose.” She added the last part in a grumble so low not even Byleth standing next to her could hear that. That had been too brusque of an awakening for her, as her mind had been preoccupied with matters such as what exactly they would do with so much medicine now that they had it. And also, how they would secure enough supplies for the four of them, if they did succeed in healing the poor woman. “And I am grateful to you as well, Byleth. You had no reason at all to go after the bracelet with me, or to protect me to begin with.”

The older thief turned to her charge and nodded, though her expression was pensive and open. She had yet to grow used to all that gratitude, as no one had ever really thanked her for performing a task she had been expected to. Of course, that was different whenever she stepped into the line of fire and saved someone else’s life, but it wasn’t the case with the kid beside her. So they had yet to see a palace or city guard or to be threatened with death and pain, but all the same she had been thanked over and over. Although they had been counting their lucky stars for the apparent slacking in security, it also seemed too weird no one was on the lookout for one of the imperial princesses. Which meant they were hyper alert to that possibility as well.

She was too valuable to simply be forgotten or for no one to be searching for her. Byleth had expected dealing with raiding parties and hordes of guards, having to sneak around buildings or crawling away, perhaps even staying on patrol all night or having to hide Edelgard somewhere while she had to leave and grab them food. Never had she imagined sharing an alley with another burglar of sorts and attempting to aid her mom of all things.

“It’s fine, really. Couldn’t see you so sad and do nothing.” She confessed as she tried edging away from those thoughts and focusing on what she was being faced with instead. That was indeed better than pondering, as shown by the smile she got in return due to how open, innocent and light it was, something she hadn’t even realized she had been missing.

“When you’re done with all that courting, I’d like some help here with mom.” Dorothea called out to them, voice dripping with venom as she ogled them, her green eyes coated in a jealousy neither child could actually explain.

“We were not courting.” The princess answered in a low tone, though a small blush crept over her face at those words. She eventually kneeled in front of their assorted herbs and took a cursory look around, trying to remember if she had ever read something about them before – anything at all, really. “I assume one of you knows what to do with this?”

“You’re the little genius here, aren’t you? I was counting on your superior, noble education doing us some good.” Dorothea retorted in an angry tone, albeit inside she was gripped by a new surge of panic. She had indeed been sure Edelgard would have heard about one or two of those and knew how to proceed. Her lost glance, as well as that question, took her aback and made her despair.

She wanted to cry, again. Had wanted to for the last month or so and couldn’t remember when was the last time she had let herself shed some tears. Not that they would change anything, but it was necessary to do so once in a while, right? And in that moment, with what seemed like the last of her hopes dwindling as fast as she had allowed herself to nurture them, only a small sense of pride and the knowledge her tears would more than likely be looked down upon kept her from succumbing to that wish.

It was a surprise when a palm covered her shoulder and squeezed, seconds before a condescending voice uttered: “We’ll figure it out. Don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying.” She countered, torn between leaning into Byleth’s touch or brushing it away in order to show strength. She was indeed dry-eyed, though, so there was actually no explanation to why those words had been said.

“Yeah you are. In here.” The older thief pointed to her own chest, just as Edelgard stood up and sent her a forlorn glance as well, as if wondering how to comfort their newfound companion.

Suddenly it was too much all at once. Before she could stop it, a broken sob left Dorothea’s mouth and soon turned into full-out crying.

Lowering her head, she let it all come out and decided it was about time to stop thinking on the consequences to being seen like that. If she was ridiculed, so be it; it wouldn’t be the first time anyways. If they left her, well, she was better off without people who could understand her. If they couldn’t even respect the fact that she was hurting, had been for as long as she and her mother had been thrown out of their former house, then –

She gasped in surprise when different arms enveloped her in the softest hug she had ever received in her life. Two bodies got closer to hers and didn’t yield when she let her own muscles sag, relaxing into the embrace and the warmth she was receiving from it. Her head rested on Byleth’s shoulder, since she was taller, but tears still fell on Edelgard’s as well. The noble’s hands kneaded her back with precision and expertize, as if that little girl were used to soothing others – maybe a younger sibling or something like that.

The whole ordeal lasted for way longer than Dorothea was comfortable with, but once she was able to find some strength in her legs in order to pull away, once her sobs had quieted and tears were mostly gone, she did so and regarded the two girls in front of her with wonder and gratitude. They kept their arms around her, still giving her enough space so they could look each other in the eyes, emerald, lilac and indigo sharing tenderness without any need for words.

“I… we have to get to work.” Dorothea finally said, head down as she was too awkward to look at them again.

She gasped again when a small hand went to her face and wiped away tears that had been left unchecked and had been running their way down her gaunt cheeks. “Yes, we do. We shall find a way to make it work, I am certain.”

After a nod, she fell to the floor in front of the herbs and felt somewhat better when both girls followed her lead. In between sniffles and half mumbled words, they started separating leaves whose names sounded similar, wondering if there wasn’t something about that which could help them decide what was the effect each of them had.

“May I ask you something, Dorothea?” Edelgard said, her voice respectfully lowered even though a few minutes had passed and the other girl only had red-rimmed eyes to indicate she had been crying. “Do you have the receipt the storeowner gave you? I would like to keep it if possible.”

“Here.” She simply said and offered her the piece of paper after retrieving it from her own clothes. It was useless to her, anyways, and honestly she failed to see why that thing was so important to begin with. “What do you wanna do with it?”

“One day I shall repay this kind man for what he did. One simply does not give children as much as he did without charging anything and I did lie my way through it to begin with.” The princess answered, her conscience still weighing heavily at what she had done. Although it was for a very good cause, well… a royal kid shouldn’t steal no matter the case.

But it was starting to get weird for her to think of herself as a noble, as in her current setting the only thing truly princess-like about her was her speech – and that was something she could change if she wanted to. No, perhaps it had been too easy for her to condemn shoplifting and robbery while leading a secluded, highly privileged life back at the Enbarr Palace. Things were too different now that she had nothing left of that, was faced with the alternatives of starving to death or doing something to get some food and survive another day.

“Noble to the end, aren’t you? Suit yourself.” Dorothea shrugged, though for the first time she had addressed the girl with nothing more than a small hint of mockery in her voice. “And you didn’t lie, all you did was act as if you were me.”

“It is still lying in my book. But… I cannot just leave you and your mom unattended. It makes no sense how things like these can go completely unchecked, either.” She fumed now, her fingers sorting through herbs a little faster than it was necessary. “How can we let people suffer like that? So many children on the streets as well, without any hopes for the future or for themselves –“

Byleth’s hand softly encased the inside of her wrist, making her stop and stare at her concerned indigo eyes. That also broke through her furious thoughts and she was surrounded by peace, a first since the events that had led them to get there.

“Not your fault.” The thief gently said, caressing the inside of her wrist with a thumb. “Nice if you did something about it, but not your fault now.”

“I hm… have been thinking about it, honestly. Perhaps I need to make my sister see reason, walk some days around the city and notice what has been hidden from us all our lives. She is compassionate, kind and smart. I know she will find a solution, way better than I can ever think about one as of now.” Edelgard spoke freely, trying to distract herself from how urgent her thoughts actually were. How heavy, too, as if she were indeed responsible for all that misery.

“Your sister? Why would she be of any help?” Dorothea inquired, frowning. Oh wait…

“I was not lying when I said I was an Imperial princess, you know. My sister is being trained to become Emperor as we speak. I am only the ninth in line and would not be able to change anything myself.” She sighed at that, letting her fingers drift over Byleth’s before the touch was taken away from her. The other girl’s hand had squeezed her in warning once and yes, she supposed she should be careful about who knew about her, but there was something about Dorothea that made her open up – even though they had almost been at each other’s throats less than a day ago.

“So what are you doing here, like a homeless kid, when there’s a whole palace waiting for you?” The girl asked, some clear irritation in her tone. She was still rather skeptical about the whole thing, as said sister could be just a fabrication from an overactive mind, but what if she weren’t lying at all?

“Bad man tried hurting her when my gang was attacking the palace.” Byleth spoke up, eyes fixed on the herbs she was separating into neat clusters. She was too organized for a thief, the other two thought as they watched her work. “I couldn’t let that happen and whisked her out. We’ll probably hide until he goes away.”

“Wait a second now. You-” she pointed to the older girl “-were ransacking the palace and ended up seeing you-” then to the princess “-getting attacked by a… bad man?”

“My uncle, yes.” Edelgard completed, her expression saddened again. “He wanted to force me to go somewhere else for absolutely no reason and I said no. Usually that would have stopped him, but as of late his behavior has been so at odds with who he used to be… I was scared he would try hurting me if I kept declining. That was when she showed up and saved me.” She ended that with a smile meant for Byleth, though it didn’t really reach her eyes.

Dorothea was speechless at that. To learn that even a noble, an Imperial princess at that, wasn’t safe from the stupid whims of others was too much. To even think that the kid had gone through something like that on top of not knowing her mother (which, truth be told, she still considered minor things when compared to her own life story) made her do a double take and examine the child in front of her with more attention.

That, and her talk of actually trying to change how things were done and people living in the streets were treated made the smaller thief wonder if she hadn’t indeed judged her a bit too prematurely. Not that Edelgard was as important and necessary as she probably deemed herself to be, but still. There was something about her that went way beyond her notions of what nobles were like, how they should behave and what actions they were prone to taking.

Why, Dorothea was sure that, had she met with any other royal kid, she would have been reported to the authorities even though those hadn’t really been present in the last few days to begin with. And that child, well… she was troublesome, naïve, weak and stupid, for sure. But she couldn’t deny there was a heart beating under that bundle of decorum and cluelessness as well.

Or perhaps she was too good of an actress as they had seen in the apothecary, and her words were indeed empty and meaningless shows for attention. But that possibility, at least in that specific moment in time, was something she didn’t want to dwell upon.

“I think I get it now.” Dorothea commented at last, hands still, emerald eyes focused on her companions. “You’re in hiding then? And me taking your bracelet was just coincidence after all?”

“Correct for all of those.” Edelgard sighed, going back to work on sorting the herbs and wishing the three of them could go faster. She longed to see the woman well, or at least to know she had been able to ease her condition a tiny bit.

“And you have no plans other than wait for the bad man to go away before placing Edelgard back in the palace?” She went on, her expression thoughtful. When Byleth simply nodded and took half of her disheveled hoard in order to aid her, she frowned. “Er, I know you’re the master thief and all that, but it doesn’t make any sense for you to do that.”

“How so?” The princess queried, interest piqued since well, they were talking about her future after all.

“You should know this better than both of us.” There was a light reprimand to her tone, but they both let it slide. “The moment you’re back to the palace, someone’ll probably send a message to your uncle saying you’re well. You’re family after all – and someone he was interested at for some reason. It’ll be like two or five days before he comes back and takes you away like he wanted before. And then what? All you did was delay the inevitable in that scenario.”

The two other kids stopped what they were doing mid-action, so their hands hung suspended with some plant or another hanging from their fingers. It would have been comical if their expressions weren’t too taken aback at something that simple. Really? Would she have to draw it out for them? She did expect that behavior from Edelgard but not really from Byleth, who was a lot more perceptive about the ways of the world all things considered.

“Well, hm, you do have a point, I am afraid.” Edelgard spoke first, her voice small and almost not there. “However, I cannot live my life in hiding because of him, can I? My place is not here, this has to be temporary.”

Her growing panic and rising voice made Byleth place a hand on her back and squeeze, whereas Dorothea felt anger coursing though her. How dare that girl speak in such a manner and evoke so many thoughts that had plagued her during her first days spent in the streets. How dare the princess be so similar to her in that aspect, dragging back to the surface feelings she had long buried and things she had already accepted in a grim way.

“We’ll think of something.” The older girl assured her, then turned to the other thief and offered her a soothing smile as well. As if she could read the conflict inside her mind at seeing that outburst. “It’ll be ok. For all of us.”

“Hmpf, didn’t expect you to be the hopeful type.” Dorothea hissed, arms crossed and rolling her eyes. Now she had to deal with someone who couldn’t accept reality as well. Or had she actually said that in order to be kind?

“It would not hurt for us to have some faith. Maybe the Goddess would look kindly upon us if we did so.” The princess uttered in a devastated whisper. As of now it seemed like She had been guiding and protecting them in some way – last night it even seemed that her silly prayers on having comfort and Byleth closer to her had been heard.

“Of course you’re one of the faithful. Should have expected that.”

“Not important now.” Byleth cut in, wishing to get back to the gist of their problems without further distractions. “Herbs are separated already, we should think about what to do next.”

That was enough to draw the other girls’ minds away from that small bickering, into what actually mattered. They glanced up front and were surprised to see that it was indeed true, the bundle of plants had been divided into neat piles as they talked and thoughts had taken over.

“Now that is an actual problem, I am afraid.” Edelgard pondered, closing her eyes as Dorothea sighed. She needed to think, to remember the many times she had watched over nurses and physicians caring for her and her siblings whenever they got sick.

There had been too many cases, as they did total eleven children and some of them were more prone to getting sick than the others. She herself wasn’t one of those, but had stayed at bedsides more often than she could count.

Her mind’s eye flashed through several images of those times, of how grownups dealt with different illnesses and the way they applied ointments, made the small children swallow gruesome-looking potions or placed ground leaves over bruises or on food. Although she had clear pictures of how to use them, it was hard for her to discern both which herbs should be used in certain ways and which plants to employ for some diseases.

“We could boil them in order to make a tea of sorts, or force her to ingest the leaves as well. Unless she has some bruising, which would require other herbs to be placed over them in order to aid in healing and disinfecting.” She ended up saying, as the silence stretched on and none of the other two seemed to have anything to add to that discussion.

“Don’t think there’re any scratches, though she did protect me from a fight a few weeks ago.” Dorothea admitted, glancing away with saddened eyes. “You think it’s important to look at them?”

“Perhaps. I would not leave it to chance.” The princess said, getting to her feet and stretching her arms. The trickier part would be to actually decide which plants would be the most helpful for her and if some vulneraries should be added to the mixture as well. The small vials had been placed beside the plants, their colorful liquids invitingly shining as if calling to them.

“Seen some bad stuff happening cause of unhealed gashes.” Byleth piped in, recalling one specific situation that was a bit too harsh to relay. Infections weren’t nice to be dealt with, especially after they had taken and spread to more than the limb it had affected firstly. Her father had always told her to let him know if she had been hurt as well and when she did, she had often been directed to Aradia or another healer straightaway.

Dorothea nodded mutely as she bolted to her feet and turned to her slumbering mother. The woman’s breathing was uneven again, shallow and fast-paced, her chest rising and falling in that frantic speed as well. The other two kids watched as her hands trembled, maybe too scared at the prospect of handling her with too little care and making her even worse.

Edelgard was the first to take a step forward and place a hand on her arm, a small offer of comfort and incentive in that tricky situation. Byleth followed suit and the tiny girl, whose face had been pinched before, actually relaxed and felt more confident about what to do next. They marched together to the mother’s side and Dorothea instructed them to make sure she wouldn’t hit the ground upon being turned.

“She was hurt on the back, sorta.” She explained once the maneuver was done with and Byleth held her away, Edelgard joining the other thief in order to take a better look.

They both shied away from what they saw once her clothes were put to the side. The princess turned her head and coughed due to nausea and for a second the older girl didn’t understand why, until the smell reached her as well. She didn’t even have to look at it to know it had already gone beyond infectious, could only wonder at the sight the two had been met with.

“I… had no idea…” Dorothea mumbled once she was able to take another glance at the wound, felt tears yet again cloud her eyes.

“It be silent like that. Don’t blame yourself.” Byleth said in a calming voice, since no one needed another reason to feel bad, guilty or sad at that moment.

“Is there something we can do here after all?” The princess queried, more to herself than to anyone else. They were just kids and this looked too serious to be treated by them. They knew nothing and could do more harm than good if their acts weren’t the right ones, a fear that had been nagging her ever since they decided to go to the pharmacy.

After all it was a life they were dealing with – and that was no child’s play. The thing was, if they weren’t the ones to do something, who would? That storeowner had been kind, but only because she had been able to pass as a noble kid. She doubted they would have been treated with as much care if she had been earnest and guided them to the alleys. No one cared about those who lived in the streets, though it would be another matter altogether when it came to nobles and royals.

Suddenly being a princess left a very bad taste in Edelgard’s mouth. Especially as her eyes roamed through the very deep gash in front of her. It was located just under the woman’s ribs, a clear white border separating the huge, circular wound from the reddish skin around it. Inside there were points of black and red, which would soon become dark too, as well as yellow and white – and she would rather not know what that was about. The rancid, rotten smell simply added to it all, making the picture something she was sure she’d see again in a nightmare or two.

“We- we have to do something, at least stop it from getting worse!” Dorothea exclaimed once her mind eventually registered what had been said. “Oh mommy, I’m so, so sorry…”

“Maybe it, hm… looks worse than it is.” Edelgard offered in a condescending tone, though she doubted it was actually the case. Not even her older brother’s worst combat wound had been similar to that, but that was not the time to make that remark. “We should try cleaning it up and using some herbs for infection, then making some bandage. Unless you know how to stitch.”

“No, I don’t. Suppose yours is the only plan we have.” Truth be told, she was too terrified to attempt coming up with something else and honestly, that decision sounded logical anyways. “You know what plants to use and how to clean it?”

Edelgard glanced at the floor and shook her head to both questions; it was of course easier said than done. She wanted to help, more than everything else, but the fear of harming instead of healing was growing at every passing second.

“Fine then, we put a bit of everything.” Dorothea decided, eyeing the princess with fury. What use was it to have a noble alongside them if she couldn’t even help with some knowledge when it was needed the most? What good had been her education?

Fuming, she stomped her way to where she had placed her blanket and scant belongings, got a bowl, gathered some leaves from their piles and, without waiting for an answer, started tearing different herbs. “We’ll get at least a slice of each plant and boil it with the vulneraries. Then we’ll apply it to her wound and make her drink the rest. There’s no way this won’t work.”

The glance Byleth and Edelgard shared wasn’t lost on Dorothea, but that didn’t deter her from going on, her anger visible in the way she ripped through leaves and almost threw them in the tinny bowl. She would not let her mother die, not after all they had been through and the fact that they finally had enough remedies to pretty much heal every disease in existence.

“Either help me or go away, your Highness.”

The command was sharp enough to wake the princess from her reverie and make her obey the order, figuring it was probably better to do something than stand idle after all. Soon they had several torn leaves either floating over and staying under a weird-smelling, sickly yellow liquid created from pouring a splash of each vial in there. Byleth extended a palm underneath the bowl and used a fire spell to warm it up for a bit, enough for some of the green to seep into the magical fluid too.

The older thief had never stopped supporting the woman’s weight and felt powerless to stop what was going on. Dorothea’s will was too strong, her voice carrying an authority she had only heard Jeralt use when he was directing unruly Blade Breakers. She felt something inside her chest stirring, wanting to make her lie against the wall and close her eyes, then cradle the other two girls in an embrace until the world lost significance to every one of them. Even to the sick mother.

She watched as they went back to attend the wound and gagged, visibly upset by it. Both she and Dorothea were taken aback when Edelgard was the one to dip her hand into the bowl and start slathering the mixture into and around the gash, doing her best to block away the feeling of her fingers touching first the tender, pliable skin around the borders then the hardened, dead one inside.

That didn’t mean she had grown to trust the procedure or believe it would do something, but honestly having to watch that and do nothing had simply become unbearable. Too much had occurred already and she didn’t think she’d be able to go on like that, merely reacting to what was happening around her instead of taking a stance and acting. And now, with the thought that maybe she would never return to the palace or else have to face being subjected to her uncle’s wishes again…

No. There must be some way for her to solve that situation as well as Dorothea’s mother’s sickness and Byleth being a thief on such a young age. If only she were smarter, stronger or older, perhaps she would have all the answers. If she were an adult just like the ones in her life, she would not only know what to do, but would also be able to act without restrains, without others judging her will all the time, just as they did because she was a kid.

But the reality of it was that she was a child. A princess, yes, but too young to determine what would happen and how she could deal with some situations in life. A few days ago she hadn’t even known what the world looked like and how people suffered way worse tragedies than being denied dessert at lunch after being naughty during morning classes. It would be no good if she suddenly decided she wanted to take the leap for adulthood right there, as time wasn’t something she could manipulate at will to begin with.

And that was why she latched on to the only palpable thing she had in that moment, which was the strange mixture of herbs and vulneraries she was applying to the woman’s wound, over and over again until there was nothing left in the small bowl. After that was done, she wildly fanned her hands, allowing extra drops to fall to the ground and messily wiped her hands on the dress.

The other girls watched her in awe, more due to the twisted expression on her face than her acts. Dorothea had become immobile beside her, so much so she had to be reminded about the bandage before she could walk away and tear a slice out of her old attire, then place it over the gash before putting her mom’s clothes back in place. Edelgard nodded, tickling her nose at all those foul smells that had been assaulting her for the last minutes and glad that had been dealt with. Together they returned the woman to her usual position, half lying against the wall, and exhaled in relief when they finally sat down around her.

“And now we wait, I suppose. The medicine will probably not take too long to show results.” The princess spoke in a shallow voice, her unfocused eyes boring holes into the opposite wall. Her mind was exhausted after the morning they had had insofar, as it was unlike everything she had ever been through.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Dorothea queried, unable to conceal the small tinge of hope she had been trying hard not to nurture. She knew how bad it was to imagine things would improve, only to have doors shut on her face and all sorts of misfortune afterwards. That pretty much had been the story of her life for the last two years after all.

“I cannot make any promises.” Although that was said in a cold way, her face betrayed how she, too, wanted things to get better. “That is the first time I have done something like that and we had absolutely no help as well.”

“We done our best.” Byleth reminded both kids, trying to go for a reassuring tone. Her effort was acknowledged by sad beams and silent nods, but it wasn’t enough to change the atmosphere around them.

Some minutes were spent like this, with the girls trying to get distracted with sounds coming from the now bustling street, nobles pacing around leisurely while servants still ran here and there in their more haphazard way. Sunlight was starting to creep closer to their little alleyway as the day progressed, a soft breeze making its way there as well, carrying with it the smell of lavish perfumes exuded by royals mixed with sweat and grime from everywhere else around.

Dorothea was the first to decide it was a better idea to do something instead of simply sitting down and looking sad. That had never worked for her anyways and the fact they had executed a successful heist in the beginning of the day didn’t mean they were done with work. The need to ensure she would survive, which was always in the back of her mind, became even stronger when she opened the basket those girls had brought and realized there wasn’t a lot left anymore.

“Hmpf, we need to get more food or else we’ll run out soon.” She announced, glad when they both snapped her heads around to look at her. She tilted the half-full container and showed them what she meant.

“Will that not be enough for at least tomorrow?” Edelgard inquired after she scrutinized the basket’s contents. There were still apples, oranges and bread for three, even though she knew Dorothea was prone to eating more than both she and Byleth combined – which was sad, understandable and expected at the same time.

“What if someone catches us tomorrow or we come back with nothing?” The other thief argued, her fear at that prospect clear in the way her voice trembled. She was tired of going hungry and would rather have more available beforehand than nothing at all and no energy to go fetch it.

“This could happen today, too.” The princess pointed out, as she felt a bit too weary about having to go for another robbery. No matter that it was the only way to ensure they would stay alive, it was still wrong to get stuff from others without proper payment.

“Leave your morals for when you’re back in your golden palace. Not that they could save you from your uncle, I think.” That had more bite than she had intended, but she didn’t want Byleth to be swayed by Edelgard’s words – not that it seemed she would, but it was clear the older thief was partial to the girl she had sworn to protect.

Thus it came as a shock when the princess gave a forlorn nod and got to her feet, agreeing with her argument instead of countering it with her noble’s logic. “What are we waiting for, then? We need to find a different place from yesterday, though, since I am sure that one must be on the lookout for any thieves. Byleth really did get a lot of stuff for it to go unnoticed.”

“You’d be surprised.” The older girl spoke while getting up, then went to where they were keeping their stuff and got a dagger. “Some folks don’t keep stock.” She remembered all those times Jeralt had taken her to fairs and instructed her on how to best get things without being noted – usually it was always a good idea to pick fruit that was sideways, or far away from both customers’ and sellers’ line of sight.

“In any case, it is a long way to that particular market and I am sure there must be others scattered throughout Enbarr. Father always said so, though I loathe to say it is getting harder and harder to believe him.” She grumbled the last part, glancing away from the other two, and was taken aback when a hand circled her wrist, caressing it just as before.

“Sure he had his reasons.” Byleth soothed, a small beam on her lips. “Don’t mean he’s bad. The only bad guy is your uncle.”

“I wish that simple view of the world could actually be helpful.” Dorothea whispered, remembered the way she had been regarded with scorn and disgust when her father announced she was unworthy of even being called his daughter. Only because, unlike Edelgard, she lacked a crest of her own.

She knew she had been a villain to him, his own ‘bad guy’ in a sense. Yet what had she done wrong? How could she acquire a crest and would it make him accept her if she did? Those were questions she had never managed to get answers, was no longer sure if she wanted to anymore. No matter how much she had begged and pleaded, saying she would behave and so on, she had still been shunned from her house.

Being good hadn’t saved her, nor had it kept Edelgard from almost being spirited away by her angry uncle. Was there any point, really, in abiding by rules and doing what others said was ‘right’? She had long questioned it, even more so now that she managed to meet a crest bearing, noble child who had almost been wronged by her own family as well.

“I suppose it is more complicated than that, just as the books I have read do not carry all the truth about reality.” The princess mused. “In any case, we should wait for a bit longer before going. It would be better if there were more people around to mask our actions.”

“Now you’re talking like a real thief.” Byleth praised, ruffling her chestnut hair so it become a bit more disheveled than before. “Come, lemme get this sorted.” She added as the smaller girl flushed, making her turn around as well.

Dorothea watched as Byleth removed the ribbons that were crookedly clinging to some strands of Edelgard’s hair, then smoothed and tried parting it in two pigtails again. Yet due to her lack of experience, unaided by the fact that there were several knots forming already, the effort was clumsy at best. At first the other girl simply stared, longing to have her hair touched and styled too, but after a while the princess’s growing blush became too much and she scoffed.

“Oh leave it. I can do a better job.” She brushed Byleth aside and started combing the mane of soft, silky hair with her fingertips. Occasionally she would use more strength than necessary and make the girl yelp, but that wasn’t on purpose. Well, not completely. “What pretty hair you have, Your Highness.”

The last part was said as a jest, she knew, but rose to it anyways since she was too flustered already, what with the older kid scrutinizing them so intently. “Do not call me that when I know how much you detest royals.”

“Your name is too long and obnoxious, though. Let’s give you a nickname then. Hm… Crybaby? Diva? Since you put up such a show in the apothecary.” She smirked when the girl froze in her grasp, yet finished tying both ribbons on more than passable pigtails.

“That is cruel. I hated having to do that, even if…” She sneaked a glance at the woman still sleeping, wondering if it was wishful thinking or her breathing was a bit less haggard than before. “Thank you for helping with my hair, though.”

Dorothea followed her glance and softened her expression at those words of gratitude, too. “You’re a good kid…. Edie. This may get you in trouble one day.”

“I shall remember that. And you are a good kid too, despite everything that has happened to you, Thea.” The princess retorted, a small smile on her lips even if she felt guilty about the situation. As if she had been the one to throw her on the streets.

“Pretty.” Byleth simply said, regarding both of them and not completely understanding it when they blushed mere seconds apart from one another. “Let’s go.”

When each girl took hold of her hand, it was too easy for the three of them to imagine they were just kids going for an adventure together, instead of three little thieves scheming on where to attack next.

The walk through the city felt lighter than the day before to both Edelgard and Byleth, whether due to the more carefree energy around them or the beautiful, cloudless day, they wouldn’t be able to say for sure. Leaving the alley had been a great decision, since they had grown more light-hearted and were easily distracted too, no longer heavy with thoughts of the sick woman who waited for them and had just received a weird concoction of herbs and vulneraries.

Since their clothes weren’t tattered and Dorothea was carrying the basket from before, emptied in order to get as much stuff as they could cram in it, most adults that saw the girls meandering around Enbarr thought they were either kids running errands for their parents or out to a picnic in one of the plazas. It was hard to imagine there was a dagger hidden under Byleth’s shirt and that they were actually scouting, looking for a market that could cater to all of their wishes and needs at once.

Edelgard had been keen on asking about where and how to take a shower, since she was feeling sticky and wanted to wash her hair. She was astonished when Byleth shrugged and Dorothea informed she would have to bathe in one of the city fountains by night, and only after making sure no one was watching, or search for a lake on the outskirts of Enbarr.

Memories of the neighborhood that stood between the woods and downtown area made the princess’s skin crawl, even when Byleth said she’d accompany her. Thus everyone decided they would shower at night after all and would also get proper hygiene items for the little noble.

Meanwhile, the older thief expressed a wish for more weapons, missing the almost endless convoy she had enjoyed with the Blade Breakers. The dagger and swords they had at the moment were good, but it couldn’t hurt to get more of those as well as small axes, lances and whetstones. The other two frowned at that but ended up shrugging and agreeing – there was no reason to question the one to most likely keep them safe from danger after all.

Finally, Dorothea asked for food, especially more pastries and treats she had been denied for all that time, as well as a certain doll she was supposed to get as a birthday gift before being thrown out of home. That was accepted with vigorous nods even by Edelgard, who seemed hell-bent on making sure the new addition to their group was comfortable and as happy as she could get.

Hence they set off with that ‘thieving list’ in mind, going past the fancier streets and ignoring their stores. Although surely they would get amazing things from their displays, it would attract too much attention and put them in higher risk than if they managed to get everything they needed from street fairs and smaller, humbler places.

Plus there was no need to call in currently nonexistent guards to Enbarr, albeit it was still too eerie that they had yet to spot one while in the Imperial capital of all places. The girls did keep looking around just in case, especially Byleth, but there was literally no figure of authority to be seen anywhere.

“So strange.” The older thief mumbled after a while, when they had passed through pretty much the third plaza in a row and found it devoid of watching guards. She had expected them to start flocking to the city at some point in time; there was no way the Imperial Army had yet to wonder if the princess weren’t there.

And of course it was even stupid to think they weren’t already out there looking for the little girl, either. So what was going on in that department? Should Byleth stop worrying and focus on other things? Yet she knew better than to relax her stance, had watched her fellow Blade Breakers fall into stupid ambushes that could have easily been predicted if they hadn’t thought themselves away from danger.

“What is strange, Byleth?” Edelgard’s soft voice, plus a light squeeze to her hands, woke her from that reverie and made her glance at the shorter child with an almost instinctive beam. It was hard not to smile at her, she realized, the motion becoming easier and easier as their days spent together went by.

“Nah, not worth it, don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe no matter what.” She whispered back, then noticed Dorothea staring up at her with a small pout. “And you too, of course.”

The effects of those words were easy to see, as the other thief’s shoulders relaxed and she beamed too, as if taken by the mood and their rather carefree walk around a more awake, crowded Enbarr. More and more buildings were opening up as the day progressed, while less servants could be seen dashing around and nobles took their places, their steps languid and careless, even. It was a wonder how they failed to trip over the girls whenever they ended up being in their way, but then maybe the princess’s purple dress had something to do with it.

At last they finally got to a less ritzy neighborhood that wasn’t so far away from their alley, consisting of a humbler-looking street with stores framing it on both sides, making it the biggest assortment of them the kids had seen insofar. And what a vision it was.

It felt like they had been set free in paradise, actually, their eyes wandering through small houses on both sides of the street and evaluating how useful it would be to raid each of them individually. Some had a bit of their merchandise displayed outside in little shelves, which would make their jobs a lot easier.

Dorothea spotted one with soup and other products shaped like small animals; was about to lunge for them, more than eager to get done with the princess’s stupid list and start on her more expansive, more important one. However, Byleth’s hand squeezed hers in warning and she found herself unable to move, not since there was a physical restraint on her but in order to not disappoint the older thief.

“Something wrong?” She queried, her voice on edge. There was literally no one watching and all she had to do was actually reach out and put those things in their basket, then move to a better, more interesting store as if nothing had happened.

“You’re too loud and obvious. If my father was sober you wouldn’t get the bracelet from him.” The older child said, taking a few steps in front of the other two. “Watch.”

She had half a mind to protest, but was actually hypnotized by how lithely Byleth moved, as if stalking a prey even though there was no need for such precaution. Her hands were on the pieces of soap so fast that Dorothea could only tell they were gone because a second later the indigo-haired girl was strolling away from it as if nothing had happened, her gaze elsewhere. The shelf was somewhat half-empty, however, and any of the adults in the store had yet to realize that was the case.

The two other kids were actually wide-eyes when she joined their side again. She grinned at them and motioned to keep on moving lest they wanted to start drawing attention to themselves. They were more than eager to comply, with even the princess actually praising her for her abilities and asking how she could do that. It was hard for Byleth to not feel a bit proud of herself after that and preen, keeping Dorothea away from the action at all costs.

It took them less than two hours between scouting which stores they wanted to raid, then the exact products that would benefit them the most and letting Byleth work her magic. The younger kids remained watching her all the time, Dorothea even more so since she longed to be able to do the same and fend for herself, then get whatever she desired without help.

Though she had to admit it was incredibly sweet of the indigo-haired girl to bring back an extra teddy bear for her alongside the doll she had requested, when they finally ran into a toy store.

They marched back to their own little alley as if they had done nothing wrong to begin with – even though they were actually having trouble carrying an overstuffed basket in between themselves. It took longer for them to return than it had to get to that place, truth be told, but at least they were in much higher spirits now that they were sure their basic needs would be taken care of.

It would have been a mostly uneventful morning if they hadn’t gotten too silent in part of the way back, then ended up eavesdropping into other people’s conversations. It didn’t take long for them to realize that those nobles seemed to be discussing the same issue, no matter how far they had walked and how many different streets they went in, as Dorothea made a point and showing around places where security had always been slack.

“How long is the Emperor planning on leaving us unprotected like this?” A noble almost yelled in outrage while talking to his daughter, who looked around to wonder if someone had heard him, then sheepishly glanced away when she noticed Byleth’s eyes boring holes into his back. “There are no guards at all here! No guards! We are lucky the pesky thieves have yet to realize this is the case, but soon enough even they will notice and start taking over Enbarr.”

“Please, Papa, restrain yourself. People are looking.” The girl commented, her entire demeanor showing embarrassment. “Is there trouble at the palace?”

“Apparently so, it was ransacked a few nights ago and not only is the Imperial Army being deployed to look after and punish the goons who did it, but also young Princess Edelgard was abducted. So all guards were made to report for reconnaissance duty and the city was abandoned. The sheer foolishness of it all!” He exploded again and it was great that many more people were looking at him, lest Edelgard’s taken aback expression would alert him to the three kids trailing not too far behind him. “The child probably ran away on her own volition and the bandits are far gone already.”

“But what if the princess was actually taken, Father?” She asked, since she was pretty much the same age as the other girl.

“Why should the Emperor care? She is just the ninth in line and will not get the throne anyways. She is a useless girl that will most likely be put into an arranged marriage due to her crest. Which is exactly your case, Cynthia.”

His words were so scathing that even Byleth felt something stir inside of her while listening to him. So it was no surprise when she turned her head the slightest and saw Edelgard glancing at the floor, trying to pretend there was nothing wrong, even though her eyes were exuding sadness and her hand was gripping the older girl’s a lot tighter than before. She used her thumb to run soothing circles on the princess’s palm and was awarded with a smile at the very least.

“My name is Laetitia.” The girl mumbled, but didn’t even bother correcting him. There was be no point to do so and it would just make him angrier anyways.

“Come, let’s go somewhere else. Not a good place.” Dorothea whispered not only because she was upset by all that talk of crests, marriages and worth, but also since she didn’t want to hear the princess whining later on due to that.

Yet no matter where they went, that seemed to be the topic of the day in the entirety of Enbarr. There were always some stray comments about how Edelgard was probably throwing a tantrum somewhere or another, laughing at their faces while the citizens were rendered without protection. Or how no one had no idea why, but some soldiers and guards had been found unconscious and hurt around the Palace area for some reason.

It was actually a relief when they got back to their own alley and took a seat after too many hours spent meandering through the city. They had been in silence for a long time, just listening and paying attention to the flow of people around them. Byleth felt an energy of sorts almost hurting her chest when she turned to look at Edelgard and saw how battered and defeated she was, her lilac eyes hooded and dark. It was clear she was thinking on all the ‘trouble’ her disappearance had caused, at least according to those people.

However much she wanted to do something, Dorothea was the one to break the silence and stillness, moving before the older girl could even think about how to act. In a lithe movement she grabbed the basket they had dropped in between them before sitting down in exhaustion, shuffled its contents for a bit before taking something out of it.

“Are you really gonna sulk cause of those snobs?” She inquired in a rather cutting voice, though her emerald irises were just as worried as Byleth’s were. “See why I hate the likes of you? Always saying stuff like that as if everything was about crests and money. As if we didn’t have feelings.”

The princess mutely nodded, still glancing away instead of facing either of the girls. That is, until Dorothea almost shoved some cake into her hands whether she wanted it or not while continuing what she had been saying before. “Snap out of it. Ugh, it pains me to say it… but you’re better than them. Just a little, but yeah.”

It was impossible to not smile at that, given how that girl actually despised nobility as a whole. Even the older thief beamed a bit at those words, then placed a hand on the princess’s shoulder and squeezed it. “You’re amazing, Eldegard. Not what they say back there.”

“Edelgard.” She corrected with a small grin on her lips, as she accepted the cake and took a rather large bite at it. “Thank you both, really. And it was a… good heist, all things considered” She offered them the pastry as well and they ended up sharing it, trying to forget all that had happened.

Although her mind still echoed what she had heard and taken to heart the most, such as being called undeserving, expendable and forgettable, she did her best to pitch in and help around as much as she could, sorting and sharpening weapons Byleth had collected, separating hygiene apparel and food. It was dull, unamusing work but she found herself getting distracted as time went by and they were forced to focus on other, more important subjects, such as the still-sleeping grownup. She barely moved as the day progressed and didn’t stir even once, to their worry, even if her breathing seemed better than before

As night fell they were tired, more due to the emotional strain of that day than to any overexertion. It was even worse that they had to wait until it was very, very late in order to get to a nearby fountain and be able to take what felt like a far cry from a shower. Byleth and Dorothea stayed on the lookout at first, which reassured Edelgard since for some reason or another she didn’t want to be seen by either of them. They rotated like that, with two of them standing guard, and almost didn’t run into any trouble (aside from some other kids who apparently had had the same idea and were about to fight them for the spot until they saw how skilled the older thief seemed to be with a sword).

Afterwards the three girls went back to the alley feeling a lot more refreshed, a first given how they had been through some balmy couple of days with no respite at all. That sensation was all they needed to get even more relaxed and ready to sleep, which was exactly what they did after a last cursory glance to make sure Dorothea’s mother was doing fine. They agreed it even seemed like she was looking less pale, but decided it would be better to not get to any conclusions as of then.

Instinctively the three ended up lying against the same wall and, before either could protest, Byleth pulled them into a hug and told them to relax. At first Dorothea felt like wriggling away, even though she had been envious of the two during the other night, but one kind smile from Edelgard was all it took to make her stay. Yes, maybe she had judged the princess a bit too harshly – she was better than the lot of nobles she belonged to, even if just a tiny bit – but that didn’t mean she trusted her already or wanted to be her friend.

She felt herself finally succumbing to sleep when a small voice came from her right side, made her want to shush it before she was able to make out the question.

“Byleth? What about your mother? You have never mentioned her at all.” Edelgard inquired, remembering she had wanted to ask that sometime before they went to the city for stealing – until she had heard all those awful things about her and her family and these took center stage in her brain for the rest of the day.

“Died at my birth, or so Jeralt says.” The older kid answered in a monotone, fingers slowly combing the princess’s now wet, shiny chestnut hair.

“I am sorry, regardless.” And she was, Dorothea saw by the way she grimaced and kneaded Byleth’s back as if to soothe her.

“It’s ok. Now sleep, it’s late.”

“Less talk, more sleep.” Dorothea added in agreement, though her tone was soft and she smiled to show the others it was ok. “You two can court some more tomorrow.”

“How dare you assume we were –“ The fact that Edelgard almost shouted it, her face growing red and warm, just made the whole setting funnier than it was supposed to be.

“Stop or I’ll separate you.” Byleth threatened, though she smiled as well at how foolish it was. “Eyes closed, now.”

The younger children lying against her obeyed with no further interruptions, even if they did giggle a bit for the next five minutes or so, but soon afterwards the three were out of it anyways.

That is, until Byleth was awakened by sharp, clacking steps on the stony street, looming too close to the alley for comfort. A second later she was on her feet, sleeping girls safely behind her and the sharpest sword she could reach for already in hand, eyes wide open and focused on the shadow looming over her from the person who had placed themselves in between the children and the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing these three together is too much fun, I admit. Even more so now that Dorothea has started to be less hostile towards Edelgard and finally believed her story about being a princess. Having them walk around the city planning heists and interacting is just too good. 
> 
> Any guesses on who showed up right at the end?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	7. The Little Thieves' Bootcamp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes into the alley that Byleth is sharing with Dorothea and Edelgard. After that person is repelled, the older kid decides it's time for the other two to get some training in weapons and well... stealing in general.  
> Things don't go completely as planned, even though at least one of them enjoys the lessons.

Byleth remained on edge for a whole minute or so, not entirely sure that person was indeed going to risk taking one more step into their alley. Yes, so she was a kid, but she had been in enough heists to know even adults feared little girls like her with deadly weapons in their hands. One look at her eyes was all they needed to get discouraged from both jesting and trying to confront her.

One look at her empty irises and they always knew they would more likely not come out alive if they chose to engage with that small enemy. No matter her size, survival instincts spoke louder and made people five times her age give her a wide berth in self-preservation.

She expected that grownup would act the same in that circumstance, if they ever took one step forward and were to meet her steely gaze, sword securely in hand, knees bent and body crouched in an offensive position, ready to strike. The lack of fear ever present in her entire stance enough to make warriors titter at the least. No kid should have that gleam in their irises or be able to exude such a dangerous aura, to begin with.

And so it had been throughout her life, as she made many a soldier flee in the mere sight of her, countless others falling by her blade when they were foolish enough to underestimate her capabilities. She was never one to back down from a fight, no matter the stakes, and this time it seemed like the stakes could indeed become high.

After all, she didn’t have only her own safety and survival to ensure, but that of Dorothea and Edelgard as well. One small glance behind her assured the other two were still fast asleep and thankfully so. Now if she could simply shoo away that stranger without them even getting involved in that, it would be the best possible outcome.

Several seconds were spent in silence and the only sounds that came to her were their breaths and the crack of flames, though she didn’t fully understand where that was coming form at that moment. Then the person took a first step forward and an eerie, soothing purplish light invaded the alley, bathing her in its glow and also allowing her to see who that newcomer was.

The strange purple flames had told her enough that she didn’t even have to see the woman’s face to know who it was. Only one person in her life had ever wielded such magic and, no matter how hard she had tried mastering it, she had yet to make her own fire turn that nice color. Though she had been told time and time again it was more a matter of what nature of magic was being used than a simple change of hue itself.

“I finally found you, little Thief Princess.” That familiar voice whispered as the woman approached, despite her sword still being held high. “Now, will you really threaten me so?”

The endearing nickname ended up making a wisp of fury course through her instead of having its usual effect of calming her down, making her feel part of something else. The Blade Breakers hadn’t been in her mind at all for the last few days and she didn’t sense any guilt over that fact. She had been busier trying to devise strategies to keep Edelgard safe in case they were ever ambushed by guards or soldiers at any point in time. She had mapped the city in her head, looking for blind spots and hiding places where she could store a small princess who couldn’t yet fight for herself.

Then in had come Dorothea and at first she didn’t think they would stick around long enough for her to be considered part of their team. But now it was impossible for her to not look after the small girl and her mother as well, given how close they had become in such a short time.

The one thing she could remember when thinking about her merry band of thieves was the last, judging look her father had given her when she ran away with a scared princess on her arms. She didn’t understand why that had happened or what he had thought at that moment. The only thing she knew was that she didn’t want to find out anytime soon. Not if that meant she would have to part ways with her newfound friends.

And if Aradia was there to do just that, well, she would better have another thought coming.

“Get out.” Byleth whispered almost in a growl, her protectiveness over the other kids stark clear in her voice.

Maybe it was the fact the girl had barely talked when she was with the Blade Breakers or the menace in her voice, but Aradia couldn’t help but flinch away, her caramel eyes wide at that sight.

“Honey, we’re so worried about you. Your father has us scattered all around Enbarr searching for you and he hasn’t been himself, either. Hell, nobody is the same without you there. We’ve yet to divide the spoils from our raid in the Palace, as we want to save the best for you.” The woman’s voice was soft, coaxing, something that maybe other children would have harkened to. “I’m glad my locator spell has finally worked, you’ve been all over the city, hm?”

The woman’s words did nothing to change her mind, even though she was indeed trying hard. The small thief kept her stance, raising the sword even higher and wondering if she would have to fight her way through the mage. Not that she would mind that if it was what it took to keep them all safe, but still. She was rather tired and a bit on edge to deal with that right then.

“Come back to us, Byleth.” The beautiful woman’s red lips shone eerily under the glow of her purple flames, her coppery hair gleaming as well. She was tall, taller than most people around her and exuded a grace that was at odds with her height. Hence when she leaned in and extended a hand in the girl’s direction, she did it with an almost flourish and a kind smile upon her face.

“No.” The child flatly answered, pointing her blade higher to make sure Aradia understood her message. “Go away.”

“Why are you acting like that?” She inquired as if hurt, and leaned away from the kid to see who else was there, for her magic had actually sensed three more people alongside Byleth’s familiar energy signature.

That was her mistake, apparently. The moment the young thief noticed her act, she dashed and slashed forward, forcing the woman to backtrack in order to stay out of harm’s way. She gave a yelp of fear while stepping back, the attack taking her by surprise as she had never imagined to actually be assaulted by the girl she had pretty much watched grow and had taught some magic as well.

What was going on there? Never had she turned on one of their own, even if somebody had teased her father beyond a point that was comfortable or done anything to threaten him. But now… that was something else, the child in front of her behaving too protectively towards something, or someone.

“Please don’t force me to hurt you.” The woman said, making the flames in her hand get stronger and taller, standing proudly in between them. She hoped that would be enough, that she wouldn’t really have to use brute strength in order to take her back to their base that night.

“Try me.” Byleth answered with a bite, well-aware the biggest difference between her and Aradia in that moment was that the mage had absolutely no intention to harm her and was mostly making a show of it, whereas the young thief had almost no qualms about landing a hit or two in order to ward her off.

She gave a cheeky grin when a fireball was thrown her way, then laced her sword with flames of her own and simply sliced through it, watching her magic being consumed but nothing else happening. The girl was well-aware of the nature of Aradia’s powers, had been prepared for it to happen as well. She darted as close as she could to the mage and swung her weapon again with some strength.

The woman made to step back, though she wondered if the kid actually meant to hit her and had her curiosity sated when the blade did slice through her thigh and blood quickly pooled from the new wound, pain lacing through it since it had been a superficial cut.

It was clear she would get nothing out of it right then, Aradia realized when she hit the streets and saw the child stand almost territorially in front of the alley they had just come from, sword tightly gripped in a side arch and poised for a next strike if it became necessary. The girl’s eyes were set, her once stoic glance now conveying so many emotions it was hard for the woman to keep track of them.

She didn’t know what scared her away first, Byleth’s protectiveness at whoever was back there or the myriad feelings she could spot in those eyes. Regardless, it was clear her going there by herself had been a mistake and nothing good would come out of it. Resigned, the woman put her hands in the air and tried appeasing the situation.

“Dear, there’s no need for that. Just come home with me, this is no place for you and we need you back there.”

The girl lowered her weapon the slightest, shaking her head as well. She had no reason to go and every single one of them to stay there. Those kids needed her and in a way, she found herself feeling attached to them already. Adults could fend off for themselves, whereas neither Dorothea and much less the princess could. She had vowed to keep Edelgard safe, wouldn’t walk back on her own words and knew returning to the Blade Breakers would signify parting with the smaller girl.

“Go and don’t come back.” She uttered, loud enough for the grownup to hear – and she saw that she was heard when Aradia flinched, then nodded and turned her back on Byleth, sulkily wandering back the way she had come.

The mage had no idea what had just happened, she realized as she made her way back to their makeshift camp right outside of Enbarr, a hand clutching the wound and willing it to stop bleeding. Jeralt had confided to her that Byleth had been the one to kidnap the missing princess, not some other, random thief that happened to go into the palace the same night they did. Things had been hectic after that heist, even if they had been successful and gotten many, many treasures to regale themselves with.

Neither of them could fathom what had moved her to do it, as their rules over keeping their tracks covered all the times did include not taking prisoners/ hosts – and the reason why Byleth saw the little girl as good leverage was still beyond them. Aradia had hoped to get a glimpse of the so-called Edelgard von Hresvelg, the girl who the guards should be searching, if they weren’t so busy with other strives inside the Palace to begin with.

Part of them was on the Blade Breakers’ trail and had strict orders to not only retrieve every single thing that had been stolen but also imprison the culprits for life, throwing them in the dungeons until further notice. They had started their rounds on the woods around the castle and were slowly getting closer to the city, something that was pressing the thieves into getting as far away from Enbarr as they could before there was a chance they could get caught inside the Imperial Capital.

They would have done so many days ago, had it not been for Byleth and the certainty they had that she was somewhere in the city. The moment she had found the kid, she thought their problems had finally been solved and she would be heralded as a hero when she went back to camp with the kid in tow.

Funny how reality had recently decided to screw with their plans big time, from that little occurrence to the fact that Jeralt hadn’t been himself in days and tended to drink away mornings and afternoons instead of actively helping his team locate the girl. He was constantly in a poor state, either sleeping off the alcohol or getting more into his system in order to dull his pain. The few times he was seen walking around Enbarr, he had been tripping, a shadow of his former self and never able to focus on a task. Either he would end up making his way to a bar or into any store that was selling spirits.

He had taken it hard and she couldn’t even fathom how his mood would drop even lower if she were to tell him the news of her unsuccessful encounter with Byleth. Worse still, she hadn’t even managed to take a glance at the so-called princess, though she was sure there had been other kids in that alley. Sighing, she slipped into the poorer parts of the city and made the way to their base, deciding it was better to not say anything and report a failure instead of run the risk of making their leader even worse.

Meanwhile, back at the streets Byleth waited for Aradia to completely vanish from her sight before lowering the sword and eventually return to the alley, wondering if she had hurt the mage too much and if the children had woken up as well. Her thoughts were still reeling and she worried at what that could mean. Surely Aradia would take this to her father and they would be in danger from him for now on. He was a way more fearsome fighter than the mage and perhaps would have no issues hurting her a few times in order to get her to obey his orders. He would forcefully take her away from the girl she needed to protect, maybe even return her to the Palace as well and claim some money for it.

No, she would never allow that to happen and for the worse to befall both of them. But for that a few measures would have to be taken, starting as soon as they could afford to. Preferably next day, even.

When she stepped into the alley, she was hit with the sound of a soft, calming lullaby and a vision she thought she would never see for as long as she was alive.

At some point in time the two had definitely woken up and more than that, to some degree understood what had been going on. Maybe they had gotten scared of her – or for her, she couldn’t tell – and huddled close together, eyes and ears attentive to whatever development to that scenario. And later on, for some miracle or another, Dorothea had made Edelgard lie her head on her lap and started singing to her, a hand combing her almost dry hair in a soothing rhythm.

To think those two had been at each other’s throats just a few hours ago was funny to say the least, the image burning itself into Byleth’s mind and making some of the tension ebb away from her as she approached the duo, lips quirking into a smile. She placed the sword back at where weapons and supplies were being kept and stood watching, since Dorothea didn’t stop her song when she had approached and Edelgard’s eyes were closed, her form slumped and relaxed.

The older thief almost didn’t want to break that lull in between them, afraid of spoiling their mood with her news. But she would have to let them know sooner or later, and sooner did sound better anyways. Hence she silently sat down beside them, at first simply smiling in encouragement at the singer and watching her blush. After a while she also placed a palm on Edelgard’s head and petted her, the motion and music calming her from what had just happened and the implications it could bring to them.

She was surprised when the princess’s hand encased her own, a few seconds before that song ended. The silence was rather unwelcome after that beautiful voice had graced them for a little while.

“Keep going.” Edelgard said in a sleepy way. She grudgingly pulled herself to a sitting position, heavy lidded eyes forcing themselves to scrutinize Byleth with worry. “What happened? Is everything ok? Are you harmed?”

“Demanding, are we?” Dorothea jested, yet her tone was light and she still had her fingers entwined on the princess’s hair. “Though I’m curious too.”

“She’s a mage in our band, the Blade Breakers.” Byleth informed them, wishing she could simply tell them to go to sleep and explain everything tomorrow, but the concern in the children’s gazes was too palpable, made something fussy run through her. “They been searching the city for me, want me to come back.”

“Will you? I would not hold it against you if you ever decided to go.” The princess softly stated, sleep slowly edging away from her as she realized how serious the issue was.

“Nuh uh.” The older thief answered without hesitation, shaking her head. “You know I wanna protect you and I will. They don’t need me and it’s the least I can do.”

“You are not at fault, nor do you owe me anything.” She countered, though her heart did soar with the certainty in the other girl’s words. “So you will keep watching over me, and I am grateful for that, but what will you do later? Do you think your family will just remain here indefinitely? Or that you will have to protect me until the day we die, too?”

Byleth considered that for a second, then shrugged and simply answered: “I’ll figure it out. Or stay with you forever.”

“And I now declare you, wife and wife.” Dorothea said in between raucous laugher, especially since Edelgard blushed wildly at that last part.

“Now you are being insufferable!” The princess exploded, hiding her face behind both hands. A sight that made Byleth herself not only smirk, as she had been doing more and more recently, but actually emit a small giggle.

That made both of them fall silent and turn to glance at her in wonder, mesmerized by the view. She met their glances a few seconds later and the three smiled, remained quiet for some other heartbeats.

“But yeah, I’ll stay with you.” The older kid said again in order to return to that issue. “They’ll go on without me, it’s fine.” She then turned to Dorothea and added: “You sing pretty. Don’t stop.”

“Agreed, you do have an amazing voice.” The princess vigorously nodded. “You should try getting into the Mittelfrank Opera Company, really.”

“Yeah and pigs should try flying as well.” Dorothea replied, but couldn’t keep a blush from creeping into her cheeks. She had made a point to always be present when there was a small show outside the place, had even managed to watch a whole play without paying for the ticket once.

She was indeed in love with the place and its diva, Manuela Casagranda, often daydreamed of sharing the stage with her so as to distract herself from whatever blight was going on in her life. It wasn’t the first time she had been praised by her singing and even back when she was a noble many grownups had flocked to listen whenever she ended up chanting something, with or without being prodded to do so. When her mom had been healthier, they had often sung duets while sitting by a street, laughing and fooling around when the day ended and they realized how much money they had gained with it.

Yes, singing was too important to her, but she was more than sure she wouldn’t even be considered as a worthy contender to the company, were she foolish enough to try out for it. She was a nobody that had been rejected by her own father – who would even want her?

“Anyways, we should go to sleep and talk more later.” She went on, trying to mask her feelings with those words.

Byleth nodded and motioned for them to perch on her lap again, the way they had been before Aradia had shown up. They happily complied and soon her arms were around the two younger kids, her brain running ahead and planning out what she would do with them the next day. She was about to say more about the rest of her concerns when a small voice cut through her thoughts.

“Would you sing to us for a bit longer, Dorothea?” Edelgard pleaded, eyes already closing due to tiredness. 

It took some coaxing from both of them, but eventually the other girl complied and they were graced by the most enchanting lullaby they had ever heard in their lives, their bodies relaxing against one another and getting as cozy as they could against a cold hard wall.

“You need to learn to fight.”

The older thief uttered those words as soon as the three of them were awake and properly fed, the princess brushing crumbs away from her mouth and smiling after the delicious pastry she had eaten. Two sets of irises fell upon her as that was said and she wondered if she should have kept that comment for a later hour.

“Why? Aren’t you gonna protect us anymore?” Dorothea inquired, tilting her head, emerald eyes already wide in panic. Had Byleth given last night’s occurrences some more thought and decided it would be better to leave them after all?

“Course I will. But it’d be good for you to know too.” She answered, eyes falling instinctively to the princess in order to gauge her reaction.

Although Edelgard looked a bit unsure about that proposition, there was also some palpable excitement in her gaze. She had once talked about becoming a soldier and joining the Imperial Army when she was older, even mentioning her proper training was supposed to start in a few days. Maybe that was where the glint in her eye was coming from, the wish to actually learn it. Of course there was a huge difference between learning combat in the safety of a Palace, for sheer curiosity, and in the streets, where her life could and maybe would depend on her ability to keep herself and others safe.

“You think that mage from yesterday may come back for us, with more people in tow as well.” The noble stated, reading between the lines at what had been left unsaid after last night. They had changed the subject to Dorothea’s voice, after all, and it was her fault such an issue hadn’t been addressed earlier.

“That too. She understood I’m serious about staying but don’t mean she’ll give up on it.” The thief stated, knowing that was the most logical thing for the Blade Breakers to do after all. “I don’t wanna take you away from the alley too, so we need to defend it.”

“Mother and I have been living in this exact place since we were kicked out.” Dorothea confessed, glad the other thief didn’t tell them to leave at once. It would be hard to find another place like that, too, since most of those alleyways were already occupied and people would fight for them as it meant being partially safe from rain and the hot sun, plus somewhat less exposed during the night, too. “Alleys are hard to come by.”

“Yes and I honestly do not think it a good idea for us to go back to the woods, either. That place is too cold and… wild, who knows what could be hiding in there.” Edelgard added, shivering with the thought of monsters. “So I suppose that means you will teach us how to fight, then?”

Byleth nodded and stood up, grabbing two small swords and giving one to each of them. “First weapons, then you gotta learn to walk real silent and be good thieves.”

Whereas the princess rolled her eyes at that, Dorothea was already willing and eager, emphatically nodding and hanging on the older girl’s every word and gesture. Talk about an overly excited student.

They decided the alley was a bit too narrow for proper swordfight, but they would have to make do with it since it would be even more of a nuisance for them to practice in the streets, with weird nobles walking around them, or try finding a plaza for it. That would attract too much attention and they would rather stay away from the public eye and not call in guards to the city. There weren’t any in that moment, yes, but they needed it to remain like that, not for authorities to find a reason to go there.

Because yes, three kids using real, dangerous weapons out in the open wasn’t really a common sight at all.

The older thief made them stand one at a time and get a feel of the sword they had been given, just so they could start being familiar with it. Dorothea went first and soon enough was slashing left and right as if she had been born with that weapon in hand. It got to a point that Edelgard had to duck in order to avoid getting cut and that was exactly what made Byleth tell her to stop. Yes, wounds were to be expected when one started fighting but that didn’t mean she would let the princess be exposed like that.

“You had classes before?” Byleth asked as she sat down and Edelgard took her place, a tentative, uncertain look in her eyes.

“Nope, but Mom stole a pretty sword from dad before we were kicked out and I had to use it sometimes.” Dorothea replied with a shrug, a single glance in the direction of her stack revealing where it was. “It got rusty and stuff, so better to train with yours.”

“I uh… have no idea whatsoever what to do with this.” The princess confessed, muscles locked in tension, eyes analyzing the weapon as if she expected it to give her all the answers. She was too afraid to make a practice swing and end up hitting herself – or worse still, Byleth – so stood ramrod straight with no reaction.

“Just wave it around, like I did.” Dorothea instructed, rolling her eyes. She wanted to get going with lessons, not to be held back by that weakling. “It ain’t hard, you know.”

Edelgard finally moved, lifting the sword in a graceful movement, testing its weight and how her arm felt with it. She had expected it to be heavier, she admitted, the shy streak of confidence inspiring her to make a downward slash.

The only problem was that she had simply let the weapon drop rather than resist the motion, which resulted in the tip clinging against the floor with a screech that surprised her. She yelped and the sword fell from her hands, clattering loudly against the stone and making Dorothea sigh at her sheer uselessness, whereas Byleth got to her feet and retrieved the weapon.

“I am so sorry, it just scared me an- and I have never even held one of those before, so –“ The girl stammered, ashamed of herself and already feeling bad seeing how good the other kid had been at her first try.

“Shush, no need to explain.” The older thief said with a smile, placing the hilt back on the princess’s hand and closing her fingers around it. “Don’t be scared, lemme help you.”

After that, Byleth stepped behind Edelgard and brought their hands up just as before. Twisting their wrists, she executed a side cut in front of a very silent, very tense princess and then reversed it as well, brought it down to her right with a swift slash. She felt the other girl slowly relax against her touch as they went on for a while longer, and after some random moves she let go completely and stood aside to watch.

It was clear that she wasn’t entirely too comfortable with the weapon, but at least she was no longer cringing or being slow about the entire thing. Rather, she beamed, giggled from time to time, even more so when she whirled and used the extra momentum to stab at an invisible enemy, one leg raised over the floor, balancing neatly on the points of the other foot.

“This isn’t a dance.” Dorothea grumbled, more than slightly miffed that Edelgard had gotten extra attention form their teacher and she hadn’t. Maybe she should feign some cluelessness instead of trying to be the better student, she thought as the other girl bowed and made to sit down again.

“It can be.” Byleth corrected, a small grin on her lips. “Seen some real good fighters more dancing than slashing.” She told them to stand up and placed herself close to the opposite wall. “Watch and copy.”

She held a bigger, heavier-looking sword on her right hand and started by making a circular motion with her wrist. The blade followed suit and cut to her side, passing mere inches away from her shoulders and arm. The two other kids were taken aback at how precise and fearless she had done that, as it would be easy to cut oneself if strength and distance were misjudged. Yet she all but smirked at their expression and repeated the same movement over and over before saying: “Now you.”

Again, it seemed that Dorothea had the upper hand with that, though even she was not so sure about doing it at first. Her wrist did turn the way it was supposed to, but she did her best to keep the blade as far away from her as possible by extending her arm. That meant the circles she got to do with the weapon were wide, way more inelegant than Byleth’s, but they would suffice for a warmup all things considered.

The princess, however, didn’t even understand how she could make her wrists rotate in that manner. Byleth had to place her fingers on the girl’s other palm and make the turn so she could grasp it, then told her to attempt it without the weapon at first. Edelgard sighed, eyeing Dorothea’s progress wistfully and comparing herself to the other girl. Why couldn’t she just do it? It wasn’t a hard concept to understand and she had studied so many difficult notions for the last few years, one would think her brain certainly had no trouble keeping up with whatever information was being fed to her. She had always been praised to high heavens and called a quick learned, and now that?

The older thief caught on to her sadness and had half a mind to give her the sword back, but decided it would be better to have a safe, but sad princess. She wished she knew the right words to soothe her, though. She had seen many people have trouble with basics like that, but improve faster when those were mastered. How to tell that to someone who had probably been seen as a prodigy her whole life?

“You’ll get better.” Byleth offered, squeezing her shoulder. “It’s not as bad anymore.”

“You do not have to lie in order to solace me.” The princess replied, eyes focused on her two stupid wrists that refused to do what they had been told to. Would she have struggled like that in her first combat lesson in the Palace, had she taken it? And would her instructor falsely praise her in order to make her feel better as well? “I appreciate the sentiment, but perhaps you should focus on Dorothea. It is not fair for her to have to wait for me.”

The older girl had to agree with that, at least partially so. “Nah, I can help you two at the same time.” She aided the princess for a few seconds more, then turned to a radiant Dorothea and told her to try another set of slashes, this time going from one side to the other and crossing in front of her.

And so it went for most of the morning. Whereas Edelgard only managed some sloppy side turns of her own, the other girl mastered whatever Byleth decided to throw at her. After a while the princess gave up completely and sat down, knees bent and drawn to her torso, arms crossed over it and chin resting on forearms. Her lilac eyes were downcast, her entire demeanor exuding defeat, but at least she could watch the other two get some progress done.

Dorothea was quick on her turns and precise with her stabs, even if they had minimal strength behind them. Her slashes were wide and while that was good to ward enemies away, Byleth instructed her to be careful with how far from one another they were, since it would be easy for a foe to dodge some and get right in her face. She even demonstrated her point by asking the girl for a match.

It was short-lived, as all three of them knew it would be. Nobody could stand up to the older kid when it came down to fighting skills and weapons, it seemed. Even an adult was scared of her, to begin with, so how could mere children think they stood a chance? Yet Dorothea did accept the challenge and copied the girl’s stance, crouching the slightest in order to use her lower body strength to aid her arms.

Byleth let her have first strike and easily parried the downward slash that came at her, knocking her opponent aside with minimum force. She then told Dorothea to keep attacking her and focused on blocking in the beginning, watching each movement as if nothing else mattered in the world. Judging and calculating when and where to charge in.

Then one moment she stepped forward while also positioning her body sideways, managing to dance away from the blow and get closer to her enemy. Dorothea tried to make her backtrack by aiming another slash in her direction, but the same thing happened and soon enough Byleth was too close to her, tip of her sword lightly pressing against the other girl’s midsection.

“See what I said? You attack fast and good, but too distant and wide. Use your wrist.” The older thief instructed as she edged away and put her sword down. “Doesn’t mean you aren’t doing good.”

“Thank you.” Dorothea preened, dancing away in joy at that and all the hard work she had been able to put on that day. Although she had indeed used a sword before, there was a stark difference between simply trying to cut and stab at whoever was threatening you and actually learning some techniques from a person who knew what she was doing. She went on, even if her teacher had dropped her weapon, and tried following the pointers she had gotten.

“Do not concern yourself with me.” Edelgard mumbled when Byleth sat down in front of her, a bit more curtly than she had intended it to, then yelped as the girl pulled her into a hug. “I said –“

“I hear ya.” The older kid cut in, caressing her back, waited until she was hugged back before adding: “Why so sad? Maybe it’s only that sword’s not your thing.”

“Is that even an excuse for my poor performance? You and Dorothea are doing more than fine with it, why is it not the same for me?” She exploded, remembering the many times she had been reprimanded by not being as good in something as one of her siblings. The advice that she had always received echoing duly in her mind. “If I am not talented in something, that just means I have to work harder for it.”

“So get up and work harder, then.” Byleth said, shrugging. “Stop thinking you’re badder than us, it ain’t a tourney.”

“The correct way to say it is ‘stop thinking you are _worse_ than us’, actually.” She huffed, relieved to go back to the familiar territory of words even for a few seconds. “Why is it so hard?”

“It isn’t.” Dorothea spoke up in between slashes that were still a bit too wide, but she was trying. “Your head is making it worse. Or you’re really not good with a sword.”

“Yeah. We got more stuff yesterday, go grab something else and we can try magic later on.” The older girl prompted, squeezing her crossed arms. “C’mon Eldegard, don’t give up.”

She didn’t even bother correcting the grinning fool in front of her. Rather, she sheepishly nodded, actually a bit embarrassed by her little temper tantrum back there, and got to her feet in order to evaluate their weapon stack even though she was unsure what to choose. It didn’t befit a princess to show either failure or easiness to give up and she should have known better than to simply sulk when something so little had gone wrong. Things _would_ go wrong some time or another (and didn’t she have one thing or two to say about that recently), but what really mattered was the way in which one responded to such adversities.

Although her resolve strengthened after that, she was still uncertain about what to pick when she came face to face with the pile of weapons they had ransacked the day before. There were some lances, daggers, swords and bows in all sizes around there, yet nothing really caught her eye. She knew lances would be harder to wield than swords and had a feeling she would end up shooting the bow instead of an arrow if she were to try that one.

In the end she settled for a small coppery dagger with all sorts of stones on the hilt, more for how beautiful it was than for any other reason. Byleth nodded when she joined the other two and sat down again, her eyes no longer downcast.

“Using this means you’ll be closer to your opponent.” The older girl announced as she took her eyes away from a still-practicing Dorothea. “That can be good and bad, cause it’s harder to protect yourself with a small weapon, but it can kill if you’re quick and strong.”

The princess nodded, irises focused on the indigo ones that still granted her some comfort amongst all that chaos – had done so, since the first moment they had seen each other.

“It does feel rather… limited, when compared to the others, but none of them have really caught my eye.” Edelgard answered, trying her best to not get distracted by the intensity of that stare.

“I’ll show you some stuff after lunch, what do you think?” Byleth asked with a smile, feeling a bit guilty for not giving her too much attention earlier on. Maybe she should have talked her out of quitting sword practice, as it was a very handy weapon to master given time – and she knew the little girl would, once she got over whatever had made her lose motivation to begin with.

“That sounds great.” She beamed back, fingers tracing the details and stones on the hilt. The gesture slowly making her more grounded, less antsy or ready to think badly of herself. Even when her eyes went to a rapturous Dorothea, who had yet to stop and was panting a bit by then. The tip of the weapon hit the walls at times, which made them cringe with the sound, but other than that she looked majestic doing it for someone that young.

“Come have something to eat.” Byleth said as she grabbed their basket and placed the biggest piece of bread on the princess’s lap. A peace offering, at the very least, though she knew the girl liked pastries more than savory food. The gesture was still received with a blush and she began chewing on it anyways.

“Hey, don’t start without me.” Dorothea grumbled, almost throwing the sword on the floor and sitting down beside them. She picked up some grilled fish from yesterday, now cold and rubbery but nevertheless good, as well as a slice of bread, a handful of strawberries, a small apple tart and a bowl of noodles.

The other two had noticed she tended to set aside a lot of food for herself even if she didn’t end up eating everything, once in a while consuming all of that and actually feeling sick afterwards. She had learned her lesson of sorts and was slowly realizing there would always be food if she knew how to get it. Or at least as long as she hung out with those kids – especially Byleth.

“We should go for some sweets later on. We’re running low on those. And bread too, there’s some types of it that I wanna try.” She spoke in between ravenous bites, hungry from the workout and all the time she had been forced to undereat in order to make sure there would be a next meager meal to be consumed.

They knew better than to disagree with her, with Edelgard lowering her eyes once she thought how bad it must be to go hungry for a long time. She gave Dorothea a gentle smile and squeezed her knee in pity, which made the other girl flinch and shoot her an inquisitive stare.

“What’s that for?” Sometimes she couldn’t read that snobby child at all. Wasn’t she almost crying for not being good at something a few minutes ago? What a baby, really.

“Nothing at all. And I do agree, I think we should try getting some cakes and a sherbet too. It is starting to get really hot during the day and a cold treat is more than welcome, right?” The noble evenly replied, though she had caught a whiff of disdain in Dorothea’s gaze. Maybe she thought Edelgard had been stupid before – not that she wasn’t right about that, but oh well. It was hard for her to not feel bad when she had been driven to always be better, do better and succeed no matter what.

“Sounds like a plan. Save space in your tummies for an icy sweet.” Byleth said and somehow the way she voiced that made them giggle as they thought about parading through Enbarr with stolen sherbets in hand.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence, sort of. The two thieves wolfed down on a larger amount of food, whereas the princess nibbled at hers and ended up giving the rest of her bread to Dorothea, who happily accepted it and made sure it was gone in a second. She didn’t end up consuming all the items she had picked, but did declare she would need a moment for the food to settle down before they could go.

“Hm, we should make the sherbet an afternoon snack, I suppose. It will be even warmer later on and we can take that opportunity to go around for more food as well. Store owners do seem more distracted the later into the day it is, or maybe that is just me and it is the other way around.” Edelgard said, scared her friend would be sick if she even thought about eating one more thing.

“You’re right, Eldegard. Adults get too tired after midday and sometimes need sleep too. Like babies.” Byleth agreed, taking a place beside her on the wall. “Tis more easy to get stuff later.”

She shook her head and sighed, exasperated at the stupid name and the wrong grammar, was about to correct the older girl when they heard a groan and some stirring to their left. Dorothea was the first to jump to her feet and crawl to the sick woman’s side as those green eyes slowly fluttered open.

“Mommy? How are you feeling?” The girl inquired in a low voice, her face open and surprised when she felt the intensity and lucidity behind her mother’s stare.

“Hey… my darling.” A small, raucous voice replied, yet it did sound a lot stronger than the last time they had heard it. It made both Byleth and Edelgard beam at hearing it too, even more so when the woman made to raise her arm and this time managed to place it on her daughter’s head. “I’m… better, I think.”

“I- it worked?” The younger thief said, stifling back a sob as her mom’s fingers weaved themselves in her hair.

“Hm? What did you… do?” Cerys queried with a small beam, watching her daughter all but melt at her touch, something like regret beating at her chest. It had been eons since the last time she had felt so conscious and aware of her surroundings, to say the least. Her entire body ached and she longed to either lie down or shift positions in some way, but she lacked the strength to do so. It was also somewhat cold, her muscles lacking the energy to shiver and warm her up.

“We should get some blankets and comforters when we go out later on.” Another girl said, her tone and words surprisingly polished for a kid. Could she be a noble? “She must be cold and as of now we have nothing of the sorts to aid her.”

“Sounds good, yeah. Maybe hard to find in summer but still good for later.” A third person said and Cerys heard some shuffling sounds before a small, child-sized jacket was draped over her.

That was when she turned to her right and remembered that the last time she woke up her daughter had been in the company of those same two girls. The one who placed the clothing over her was older, her indigo hair wild, fluffy and long, her gaze steady and strong yet not menacing at all. It was the other one who had surprised her back then and still did this time.

Those wide, inquiring lilac eyes that lit up when Cerys looked at her, her silky chestnut hair (albeit in a bit of a disarray, which made her wonder if the other kids had tried tending to it at some point or another) and contained posture indicating she didn’t really belong on the streets at all. But then, should she and Dorothea be there as well?

A second later she recalled what had made the child so interesting to her the last time as well. Her resemblance to the little girl she was supposed to…

“Mommy, you need to eat.” Dorothea protested after she noticed who she had been looking at. What, would the princess really try stealing her mom like that? So she was the one to help heal her, but that didn’t mean she could call dibs. “Lemme grab you something.”

“I would love to, sweetheart.” The grownup gave a weak beam of agreement, more than happy to comply if it meant she would get better. She had to, for her daughter, her best friend, everything she should be doing and hadn’t been able to for the last months and even before that.

Maybe she should have defended herself and the girl better, actually kept them away from the streets by standing up against her joke of a husband. He had shown signs of throwing them out as soon as little Thea had been born, actually saying he would be forced to do just that if she failed to manifest a crest. Perhaps she should have told Anselma about it at the very least, but the fear of being judged by a woman who had been born into nobility, though she had been her best friend, had kept her lips shut.

Unfortunately the other woman had been sent to the Kingdom long before Cerys could have enough courage to say something and ask for help. She had been too scared to reach out to anybody, actually, even if the idea of her child being punished by something she had no fault in was already too much. Of course she had to fall sick and be taken care of by her daughter and whatever kids she had befriended in the last few days. What a useless parent she was.

And what a useless friend, too, as she had failed to take care of little Edelgard just as she had promised. Unless…

“Who are these two, my little bird?” Cerys inquired after Dorothea came back with more than enough for the five of them, truth be told. She would be grateful if she were able to eat even a small slice of bread, she thought as she went for it and was able to take it to her own mouth without help.

There was that, too. What had happened to make her stronger? It had been a while since she had felt so… alive, for a change.

“They came some days ago.” Dorothea answered, waving them away not because she didn’t care, but her mom being awake and talking like that was too much for her. So much she felt tears gathering in her eyes, yet couldn’t spill them for now. It was more important for her to get the woman to eat. “They been helping around and we got you some medicine too.”

“Is… is that so?” She smiled at the kids, then took a bite of the bread and had some difficulty swallowing it. Her throat was too sore, which also made talking hard. That and her overall weakness, which was slowly threatening to take her under again. She needed answers, though, and food as well. She had to stay alive, to get better. To keep those three safe, as the parent she was supposed to be. “What are your names, dears?”

“Byleth.” The older one said, her stance exuding a protectiveness over the other kid. Her eyes were cold, evaluating her, yet at the same time there was a hint of concern under that.

“I am Edelgard, pleased to see you awake and doing better, Miss.” She bowed her head in deference, every bit a noble.

Cerys had heard nothing after she said her name. No, that couldn’t be. She must be hallucinating again, which wasn’t a far off cry given how feverish she had felt in the last few days, weeks, maybe even months – time had become meaningless after she became so tired she had to be mostly asleep.

Hence she almost choked on her slice of bread and had to be given some water before she could even look back at the three worried, wide-eyed children. So young, yet already being subjected to the hardship of life on the streets and of the world as a whole.

She didn’t even know how to breach the subject, or if she should actually do so. If that was indeed the girl she should be looking after as one of her own, would she even remember Anselma? Was it worth to mention her after so many years that the two had been separated – and her own inability to keep her part of the promise due to what she had faced in her own home?

“Come closer, little one.” She mumbled with a small smile, taking her hand out of Dorothea’s head and beckoning for the princess.

It didn’t surprise her when she was eyed with fear and resentment instead of taken at word. Noble or not, it seemed that all three kids had been through some things as of recent and weren’t as willing to trust adults to take care of them. The one who had called herself Byleth placed a restraining hand on Edelgard’s forearm and squeezed, shaking her head no while also sending Cerys quite the scathing glare.

What took her aback, however, was the protesting, shocked way that Dorothea was looking at her, still sitting in front of her with both food and water in hands. Maybe it had been a mistake to call for the other kid so soon after waking up, when her own had probably been feeling so alone, scared and small facing the world by herself.

She smiled down at her daughter apologetically and drew her closer for an embrace, sighing in relief when the gesture was accepted and she felt the girl’s shoulders relaxing. She wanted to giggle at that display of jealousy, since if everything had worked out as planned the two would have grown up almost as sisters. There was no use thinking about what could have been, though, so that was why she perched her chin on Dorothea’s head and whispered:

“I’m sorry, honey. I just… wanted to see her up close, as she reminded me of someone else. But I’m here now, I’m here for you now and I won’t go anywhere.”

The girl in her arms vigorously nodded before pulling away and wiping her eyes clean, then putting on a brave face. “You gotta eat up and become strong, mom. The meds we used won’t do everything.”

She giggled and ate even more than she thought was safe, just to see Thea’s small face lighten up. It wasn’t lost on her that Edelgard was also beaming while watching them interact, at one point leaning her head on Byleth’s shoulder and enjoying the sight.

Eventually Cerys became too tired to keep her eyes open again, internally cursing her body for being that weak and pulling her down into a deep slumber before she could even talk to the other girls and see if her suspicion was correct – though at that point she was convinced it was.

 _Anselma_ , she thought as her mind slowly drifted off to sleep, her body still feeling so much at once: the cold floor, a weight in her belly for eating a tad too much, a certain pain in her chest from how fast she had been breathing recently. _I’ll do my best to keep her safe. To keep all of them safe._

_I shall honor my word... even if it is indeed the last thing I get to do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were a few ways I wanted this chapter to go. My first thought wasn't exactly for Aradia to find them, but for reasons that'll become clearer in the future she was the best, most likely candidate for that job.  
> Isn't it nice how Dorothea is proficient in swords? It helps if we want to give her the Levin Sword, but anyways. It made me wonder if it could be explained due to her having to live on the streets and protect herself for a bit, so that's why she comes off as a natural in this chapter. And El... yes, she does good with a sword in game (and isn't her Lord outfit amazing?), but let her deal with a bit of frustration here and there.
> 
> Oh, a sidenote I forgot to add when Dorothea's mom was introduced, the name Cerys is of Welsh origin and means "love". Quick and simple, but there you are.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


	8. "Insowfferable"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth teaches the girls another important skill when it comes to being a thief: walking as silently as possible. After some practicing in the alley, they go try it out on the streets by scaring nobles, in an attempt to have some fun.   
> However, something about that upsets Edelgard, who later finds herself explaining things to the last person she thought she would confide in.

The moments that followed Cerys falling asleep were spent in an uncomfortable silence, Dorothea eyeing Edelgard with mistrust and a bit of anger. It reminded Byleth too much of how things were when the three had just met and it left a bad taste in the back of her mouth. She thought they would slowly but surely get more and more friendly, as it had indeed been happening as of late. But of course a grownup would make them weary of each other again.

Not that she couldn’t get why the other thief was resenting the princess. _Her_ mom, who had just woken up for the first time after they had applied an assortment of herbs and vials on her, had to call Edelgard closer for no apparent reason at all. This was sure to be seen as an act of… treason? Or maybe what Byleth had experienced when she saw that damn songstress winking at the princess when her bracelet had been stolen. Yes, she could surely relate.

And although no words had been spoken in between the three after that little incident, she knew the noble understood what was going on as well. She might be a bit slower when it came to the sword, but she was an insightful kid nonetheless, the blush on her cheeks and an inability to meet Dorothea’s scathing stare enough of a proof that she also didn’t feel good about the situation at hands.

Well, those two little girls were surely hopeless at making amends and talking stuff through, she knew. And what with Dorothea now having some extra skills with a sword, she would rather not risk an argument between them escalating to the point weapons were drawn. It was her duty to protect the princess, which meant she should probably mediate conflicts that could get her into trouble as well, right?

That was exactly the thought that led her into clearing her throat to call their attention, as she had seen adults do, and then say: “Think you two should work on something else now, instead of more fighting. Let’s try, hm…” She ran through her options, head tilted, hand in her chin. “being silent. You’re too loud when you walk and that’s bad for stealing stuff.”

“So you are saying you will teach us how to walk softly?” Edelgard queried with a small smile. Maybe she would do better at that one, as it was a skill expected of a princess and she had been one of the stealthier in between her siblings. Their caretakers would often commend her on it; time to see how true those praises had been.

“Yep. And not only slow, you gotta learn to run quiet, too.” Byleth added, then got to her feet in order to demonstrate. One glance at both of her little students and she found them no longer at odds with each other, but with their faces open and willing to learn. That was good; maybe she had had the right idea after all.

“This’ll be fun.” Dorothea smiled in excitement, looking sideways at her mother to make sure she was indeed resting. The sight of her breathing a bit more peacefully was enough to make her feel slightly at ease about the entire matter, even though she still couldn’t fathom why the woman had been so interested in the damn princess too. She shook her head before she could fall again into those thoughts and focused.

Byleth begun by simply pacing around in a normal speed. They watched, mesmerized at the fact that her steps made absolutely no sound at all even though she hadn’t slowed down from her usual rhythm. Had she always walked like that and they just didn’t notice? It was quite likely the case, as there were so many interesting things about the older thief (starting at the notion that she was, indeed, a bandit belonging to one of the most famous bands ever at the tender age of eleven) that the way she took her steps was just another surplus.

Their eyes widened when she began running and if they closed their eyes they wouldn’t even know she was on the move, much less that fast. The older kid darted around them in circles, as if actually daring them to do the same and to not be afraid as well. There were excited smiles in their faces once she was done with it and fell to the floor beside them, again silently and imperceptibly so.

“That’s so cool! How can we do this too?” Dorothea queried, already jumping to her feet and grimacing once she realized how loud even that small motion was. She had never known it was possible to be that stealthy, thought she herself was already very quiet to begin with. Now, after Byleth’s example, she understood why the other thief had said she needed to learn it.

“There’re some ways for it, so I’m gonna teach you the easiest one to begin.” She got up again and placed herself in front of the two students, glad to see the princess looked eager to learn that too. “First you have to breathe real nice and long, but don’t make a noise with that.” She added the second part of that sentence since Dorothea had inhaled in a deep, fast way that echoed around the alley. “Yeah, not like that. Long and slow is the way to go. And when you do it, get your leg up.”

She demonstrated by doing just that: once she took her breath, she raised a leg. Upon exhaling, she placed nothing but the tips of her toes on the ground, finding balance before supporting the balls of her feet and heels later on. The other girls watched and nodded, though that hadn’t been the way Byleth had moved before. It looked easy and basic, was probably a preliminary step before they could get into the more advanced, secret teachings on the art of stealing.

Edelgard was the first to really try it and mimic the older girl to perfection. Years living in a castle full of guards and caretakers who were keen on making sure she wasn’t late for class, out of her room when lights were already out or just being somewhere she wasn’t supposed to made it easy for her to adapt her own footwork and remain silent. Of course, she had been caught many times before actually succeeding, but at least that only made her more curious about how to better do it.

Hence it was easy for her to synchronize breathing and motion, to remain attentive on where most of her weight was at and how to slowly move it to the other limb. Maybe the fact she was wearing shoes with very soft soles also helped, but all in all she showed some sort of ability to conceal her steps like that.

Triumphant, the noble walked around them in circles that became faster and faster as she got more confident at her skill. Knees slightly bent, she found it wasn’t that hard to shift weight while increasing speed, her breathing also paced with her steps. The only thing that made a sound during the entire time she was trying it were the excited giggles that left her lips when she realized she was actually doing that. Failing swords had made her a bit wary about trying another one of Byleth’s lessons, but she soon regained some trust in herself when that task was executed with perfection.

“Good one. Just don’t let your enemies know where you are by laughing.” The older kid said with a grin once Edelgard was satisfied and stopped beside her, a wide smile on her lips. “See? It’s ok.” She added when the girl nodded, was happy that she gave it a try and didn’t just sulk for the last of those lessons. She might not want to be a thief, but stuff like that could be very useful if she became a soldier.

“Yeah, that was cool. My turn.” Dorothea waved the matter away, eager to show how things were actually done. If the princess thought she had done great, well, she’d better have another thought coming and soon.

Remembering the posture the two had adopted before her, spine straight and knees a bit bent, she copied that and placed her toes into the floor, more than sure she would be able to succeed and do even better than the little noble… only to blush in embarrassment when the sound her first step made echoed around the hallways as if she had simply stomped the ground (which, in hindsight, she sort of had).

“Keep your weight centered on the supporting leg and remember to breathe slowly and deeply when you raise your foot.” Edelgard instructed, felt her heart soar when Byleth glanced at her and bobbed her head in acquiescence. Finally she was doing something right in that day. “It seems foolish at first, but it will help you on the long run if you keep these in mind.”

It was Dorothea’s time to frown and squeeze her forehead in deep concentration, then sigh and try again with her other foot. The result was pretty much the same, as she had no idea what they meant with weight distribution and control. That was why she ended up not gently placing her toes on the floor, but acting as if she were about to crunch an insect with them.

“My shoes are too tough, they aren’t helping me,” She complained after a few more minutes of it – she had still to accomplish taking one step that didn’t sound as if she were commanding a battalion into war.

“Hm, with those hardened soles it is indeed a lot more difficult to do this.” The princess declared after inspecting said shoes. “Would you like to try mine? They are incredibly soft and don’t hurt my feet at all. Perhaps you will find it easy to do this exercise with them, too.”

“You can do it barefoot too.” Byleth suggested – she wasn’t about to say it had more to do with Dorothea’s anxiety getting the best of her, since she wasn’t entirely focused and kept wanting to show results without being centered, than something more external. This would be addressed, but later on. It would be better if the two could master that to a certain degree as soon as possible, as it could be very useful to conceal oneself from an enemy.

She received a grunt as a response before the girl did take of her shoes by shaking them out of her feet, which ended up making them hit the walls with a loud clang. Nothing about her was silent, at least not now, and apparently it was even harder for her to be so when she was fuming, wondering why she wasn’t doing something so damn simple.

They went on for a few more minutes, before Byleth told her to stop and placed one hand on each of her arms, standing right in front of her. Those emerald eyes avoided her in mortification and the older child was reminded of a certain princess doing pretty much the same thing, for pretty much the same reason earlier on. Although for her, there was also an added fear of not being able to do something she was required to in order to survive.

She could either become good at stealing and plundering or she and her mother would starve to death, period. No matter how much she wanted to believe those two kids would always be there, it wasn’t a given fact that was actually be the case. And the mere thought of letting Byleth and her mom down, just as she had her father, was a very, very scary thing for her to even think about.

“C’mon, not you too.” She softly said and was rewarded with a small giggle. “You’re good in your way.”

There was a grunt in response before Dorothea took a deep breath and their eyes met at last. She did look a bit defeated, but seemed to recover faster from the frustration than the noble had. “What I’m doing wrong?”

“You’re doing what Eldegard did with swords. You’re complicating things.” Byleth answered as the noble protested with a small “Hey!”. “Don’t think about anything else, just stepping and breathing.”

“And shift your weight more often, you tend to put it all in your left leg even when it is not supporting you.” The princess added, a bit miffed at being called out and due to the scene unfolding in front of her. She wanted that kind of attention, too, even if she had gotten a very nice hug before. Her remark was met with inquisitive, surprised stares that took her aback as well. “What? I was merely watching. Have I overstepped?”

“Nah, your steps were fine.” The older thief retorted with a grin, confused as to why that made the other girls laugh.

“Never mind that. And no, I, well… unlike you, I appreciate the help.” Dorothea answered, then stuck her tongue out and glanced away from both of them. “Now lemme try again.”

She had to wait for a bit before the princess could stop giggling at that, though, for the sound made her wonder why she had acted in that way and also diverted her. Maybe it was her all in her mind, but this time around it did feel like she was doing better as she paced in a straight line between both kids. When she turned back to gauge their reactions and realized that two pair of eyes were staring at her with happiness and pride – for her – she almost teared up.

“Loads better.” Byleth said, beaming at her. “Needs some work but not bad. Most grownups won’t hear ya at all.”

The noble actually clapped and started chanting her name, which made a small blush run from her cheeks to the points of her ears. And to think a part of her, no matter how little it was, still resented the girl and wasn’t anywhere comfortable with her around. Wondered, even, if she shouldn’t’ try convincing Byleth to leave her behind, since she wasn’t a thief to begin with and sooner or later was prone to bringing trouble in the form of Imperial guards looking for her.

Yet at that moment even that part of her couldn’t deny that snobbish kid was, well… a bit cute when she wanted to be.

“Alrighty, then. Now that you got the basics down, I’m gonna sit down and close my eyes. You have to walk til I say I can’t hear you, ok?” Byleth’s challenge snapped them out of their reveries, was received with cheers that were a bit loud given the nature of the exercise they had been doing. The contrast made them laugh as the older thief took her place on the floor, then actually did close her eyes.

Edelgard got to her feet and took a few seconds to center herself, align her spine and bend her knees. Only when her thoughts were stable and not rushing with the adrenaline of getting it right did she take her first step forward, placing the points of her toes on the ground. She was far from the older girl, but knew that wasn’t a problem at all.

No response. Had she actually done it right? A bubbly feeling coursed through her and she had some trouble finding that balance again, but attempted to go on one more time. Then another and another, as Byleth gave no sign she had been heard, excitement building inside of her each time her feet touched the floor and it seemed like she wasn’t heard.

One or two more steps and she would be very close to her protector, so much she could probably try and touch her hair. The thought motivated her to go again, yet this time she hadn’t checked her breathing or where her weight was, meaning that although she took a somewhat quiet step, it still alerted Byleth to her presence.

“Eldegard, you’re behind me, to my left. Good job being close.” She said, then opened her eyes to confirm it and was met by a flustered princess, who nodded and went away.

Dorothea tried, but was spotted at once and given a second and a third chance (she did better by the last one, but had some ways to go before being undetected). They were wondering if that had been all, until the older thief proposed both girls attempted to reach her at once.

They counted to ten before taking one step, were immediately called out and began again.

“I can still hear ya.”

This time, Byleth’s words were followed by a twin set of groans, which made the older kid chuckle even though a part of her understood the reason behind that sound of protest. They had been trying it for hours, after all. She would push them a bit more, then call it a day and maybe tell them to go get the icy sweets Edelgard had talked about earlier on.

“Last time. Make me proud.” She announced and there were excited giggles at that. An interesting, warm sensation ran through her bloodstream as she realized how fun it was to teach those two, to see them learn and develop skills that had been second nature to her ever since she was old enough to walk. There was a sense of… she couldn’t name it, but it was the same that had sometimes come over her when she was able to do something big, like protect her father in a fight or get an amazing item from a heist.

One day she would learn that the word assigned to that feeling was accomplishment.

Perhaps she had been lost in her thoughts, but it was almost too late when her hands reached out and laced into an ankle to her right. The squeak of surprise that followed it indicated that the princess had been about to finally get to her. She opened her eyes, already snickering at that, and scrambled to her feet in order to keep the startled girl from falling, hands steadying her shoulders.

“Good one.” Byleth said, bopping the tip of her nose and getting another set of giggles in response. A warmth of sorts encased her at hearing that sound, though she wondered why Dorothea was looking at them with uncertainty and some… was it fear? “You’re doing good too.” She said to the other girl, trying to appease her somehow.

“Hmpf, thanks.” She gruffly answered in order to hide the thought that her failing too often could make the two leave her be. At least she had done better in swords, so maybe Byleth wouldn’t give up on her so easily? She didn’t know, would rather not think about it lest she would become too lost in those things.

“Time to test it out there.” The older girl pointed towards the streets, where people were coming and going around. She had intended to do it the other way around, with them trailing behind clueless adults before trying to sneak up on her, but then decided to challenge them first, let them have fun second. Though their eyes widened at the prospect, as if she had asked them to march to war. “Will be easier with grownups than was with me.”

“Yeah, adults are boring and don’t pay attention to anything other than themselves.” The other thief said after nodding, her mood a bit better due to that idea. “Hey, we should give them a real scare! And keep score too.” Her emerald eyes brightened with each thought. It would be too good to get back at those snobs who had mistreated her for so long. “Whoever gets more points wins two sherbets!”

“Is it wise to go around startling people? I have heard this can end up poorly for those who have heart conditions or something.” Edelgard rebutted, a part of her wanting to join in the fun but another one a bit uncertain on how fun that actually would be. She had been raised to respect her elders above everything else, after all, even if she didn’t always follow those rules. Being that unkind to strangers was… daunting, at the best.

“C’mon, Byleth, let’s leave the little princess to her proper manners.” Dorothea said in a daring way, one hand on the older kid’s arm, already ushering her outside. “By the way, I totally wanna win and have those sherbets, so be ready to do some real stealing later on.”

“Hey, wait for me! That is unfair.” The noble said a second later, when Byleth turned to wave at her. No, she was mostly against that idea, but she would not be left behind in an alley, with a strange, sickly woman who apparently had some sort of interest on her. She was still thinking about why she had called her forth like that, in front of her own child no less. No wonder Dorothea had been a bit hostile to her a while later, she couldn’t even fathom how she had felt at watching that.

“Life’s not fair, else I wouldn’t be living in the streets.” She said in a low voice, yet loud enough for the other two to hear.

They took a minute to check their surroundings and see if there were enough people out there for them to start their mission. Since it was already past lunchtime, some nobles were out on leisure strolls to aid with digestion, as always in a stark contrast to those in humbler clothing literally running back to work after a brief respite – if any.

Most of them were indeed grownups on their own or with a partner, but a few families were taking some time off together as always, the sight of it making Dorothea’s and Edelgard’s hearts ache at the same moment, albeit for slightly different reasons. Whereas the former wished she knew what a true family was, the latter found herself thinking about her siblings and missing them terribly.

Meanwhile, Byleth looked at each of them and pouted, as if reading their feelings as clear as day. Since as always she was in between the two, she placed a hand on their shoulders and squeezed, then laced her fingers with theirs. Had to attempt a smile when they turned almost tearful, yet hopeful eyes to hers in search of solace.

“Let’s go.” She prompted, before they could actually start crying and they had to delay their plans for a bit longer. “We’ll get icy sweets and it be fine.”

Again, maybe it was the way she worded it, but the girls ended up giggling at it and wiping their eyes with their free hands. They let go of her hands and nodded, bringing their thoughts to the present and attempting to access the situation at hands.

“Should we focus on nobles or just go crazy?” Dorothea queried as she laced her shoes on. The streets were rather warm given how strong the sun was becoming, so she would end up burning her feet if she went without them. They would probably give her away, but again, most adults she knew were completely clueless and wouldn’t see/hear a roaring monster in front of them.

“Nah, your call.” The older child answered, shrugging. She had a feeling it would be better if they avoided people who worked at stores and could recognize them later, but honestly it was almost a given that grownups were forgetful. She only hoped she wouldn’t become like that when she got older. “Just stay close to me, don’t want you getting lost.”

“I know my way around, thank you. But yeah, keep your princess on a leash.”

“Are you perchance calling me a dog?” Edelgard bristled, her body becoming taut as if the accusation had stung her.

“Dunno, have I?” Dorothea replied with a smirk, then winked and finally laughed at her annoyed expression. “Goddess, it’s too easy to get to you.”

The noble was about to retort when Byleth shook her head at her. “You get two icy sweets just cause she’s being mean to you. Now let’s scare some people.”

Edelgard beamed at that, then stuck out her tongue at the other girl before silently walking behind their teacher as she approached a family. Anticipations made her heart beat faster the nearer she got to the parents, since the kids were running straight ahead and would probably not be as fun to scare to begin with.

A sideways glance at the older girl made her notice she was grinning, probably sharing in the excitement of what they were about to do. Had either of them had that much fun with other kids before? The princess doubted that, seeing how Byleth had never mentioned children (friends or siblings) when talking about the Blade Breakers. So perhaps that was as new to her as it was to Edelgard.

They tiptoed all the way, breathing synched with their steps just as they had been doing before. Dorothea didn’t join them, however, and remained hidden behind a store as she watched, already beaming at what she knew would happen. They were so close to their prey, no more than one step behind the complaining adults in their flashy clothes.

She was the first one to laugh when both girls yelled as loud as they could, the moment the grownups stopped talking about taxes and what they would have next for tea. Even the kids a few meters ahead jumped out of their skin due to that sound, turning abruptly to see what was going on while Edelgard and Byleth darted away, hand in hand, giggling although the pale adults were screaming blasphemies at them.

They picked up speed once they noticed the family attempted to chase after them, but didn’t stop chortling until they had to hide in an alley, then wait in silence until the parents went past them, their voices carrying away and almost making them laugh again.

“Today’s youth is in shambles, let me tell you! We have to… get those two… ragamuffins… and teach them a lesson.” The woman puffed, purple robes trailing behind her.

“They could not… have gone too far… my dearest! They will… be punished for this… disgrace.” Her husband agreed, kids closer to him, all of them keeping straight ahead while the two perpetrators tried muffling their chuckles with their hands.

The princess and her protector leaned against the wall in order to wait for their giggles to go away, which took even longer than they thought it would. The moment they did stop, they would look at one another and have another fit when they remembered what had happened.

“Their expressions were priceless.” Edelgard admitted in a whisper, once they were sure no members of the family were close to them. “I think the mother was so frightened, she yelled as well.”

“Told ya it’d be fun and easy.” Byleth agreed, her tummy aching at how much she had laughed. Wait, had she ever laughed at all before, to begin with? She couldn’t remember, at least not to that point anyways. It was a good pain in her belly, though, one she wanted to experience more often. Which was exactly what made her say: “Let’s go find Dorothea and go to another street. Wanna do that again.”

“I never thought I would agree with you on something so childish and dangerous, but yes, I cannot wait to scare more nobles with you.” The princess shot back, her cheeks turning a slight pink from exertion, their laughing and the shared joy. She felt happy at seeing her companion show more and more emotions like that, recalled thinking how stoic she was in the beginning. It wasn’t really the case, was it? Maybe she had never experienced those things before, that was it.

“You’re hopeless, do you know that?” Dorothea’s voice greeted them the moment they stepped outside of the alleyway. Even though there was a bit of a reproach in there, her eyes were shining in mirth and she was biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing. “They’re far away now, but damn if they didn’t try chasing you for a while. And you missed the best cursing ever. ‘Those wretched street rats! Scum of Fódlan, unloved by Sothis and the Saints above!’” She recited in a lower pitch, which made them giggle anew. “It’s my turn now, don’t steal the spotlight from me.”

“Steal the what from her?” Byleth queried in a whisper, falling into step beside the princess as they returned to the main street and proceeded to edge away from it, keen on getting to another place so Dorothea could pick her target.

“It is an expression, meaning do not outshine me.” Since the thief still glanced at her with a tilt to her head, she tried rephrasing that. “Or do not make others look at you when they are meant to look at me.”

“Ah, she wants all the attention. Thank you, Eldie.” She replied with a smile.

“Ugh, if you want to address me by a nickname, then at least make a better one.” The princess fussed, thinking about the matter at hands. Maybe if she got a simple enough name then this would be laid to rest. “You like ‘Eldegard’ so much, then go ahead and call me… El. It is what my sisters call me, anyways.” She blushed at that, for the mere reason that only those dear to her heart were allowed to know that pet name to begin with.

Byleth stopped walking and looked at the smaller child in front of her with wonder. Noticed how that meant a lot more to her than she was letting on. After a few seconds in silence, she beamed, nodded and said: “El is pretty. Suits you.”

Edelgard’s cheeks got even more crimson if that was possible and she glanced down, shuffling her feet. “Yes, hm… that is indeed a lot better than you calling me Eldegard all the time.”

To her surprise, the thief giggled, then answered: “Only to make you mad. I know you’re Edelgard, ninth child of the Emperor Ionius. It’s funny to mess with ya.”

“So you… all this time you were actually…” The princess stammered, unsure if she was angry, furious, flustered or all of the above. “How dare you? Both you and Dorothea are completely –“

“Insowfferable.”

Perhaps Edelgard would have replied and corrected her, reminding her how the actual word was ‘insufferable’ and added to that a speech on how she should not have butchered her name for that long. That is, if Dorothea’s pretty, melodious scream hadn’t echoed through the street, followed by a yelp of fright from some noblemen, and the girl wasn’t running their way with tears in her eyes due to laughing.

“Ok so I scared five nobles total and you did more. But no fair cause I saw the two of you working together all the time.”

The three girls were strolling around the center of Enbarr, very close to where they had first met informally so, when Manuela had performed with the Mittelfrank. The square wasn’t as crowded in that day as it had been back then, since unfortunately there would be no show in that day and mostly people only went there for any specific businesses that had to be carried on.

“She’s a good partner.” Byleth announced, throwing her arm on Edelgard’s shoulder. The younger girl was still a bit flustered at their little exchange in the alley, so simply blushed a little more due to the act and remained in silence. Something that wasn’t lost on Dorothea at all.

“Cat’s got your tongue?” She teased, yet wondered what had brought on that change in demeanor. Given how good the princess had been at walking stealthily, she was sure there would be some gloating on her part when the time came for them to compare scores. The two pairing up had been completely unexpected too.

That was answered with a small head shake and no words, which made Dorothea frown, confused and interested at the same time. What had transpired in between them, if something had?

“Eldegard, tell her how many people we scared.” Byleth prompted, also somewhat worried about her. Had she said or done something she shouldn’t?

“I would say that we have gotten about seven or six, all of them nobles. But as you said, it was not a fair competition since we did end up working together.” The girl recited, as if she had been forced to do so by a tutor or parent. “We could attempt this again another day and do it in a fairer way.”

“Not if it makes you like that. What’s going on, little princess?” The other kid queried, a bit out of patience with the whole thing. Why was she being so dramatic all of a sudden?

“Do not mind me, it shall pass soon. Were we not going for sherbets after this? I suppose everyone should get two, since we have been doing so well today.” She said, waving the matter away before finally raising her eyes from the floor and into her companions. There was no use dwelling on such issues anyways, no good would come out of that, and she had to be stronger as well.

“Yeah great idea.” The older thief acquiesced, taking her smaller hand on her own and grinning when Dorothea did the same. Maybe they wouldn’t talk about it, but they could at least be supportive in some way or another. “Is there a shop near?”

“I’ll take you guys there.” The girl said after nodding, remembering a place she used to laze in front of, daydreaming about getting their fancy sweets while begging for someone to help her.

It had never mattered how many people did look at her, either in scorn or mercy, she had always been passed on. Rejected. Seen as someone else’s problems and not theirs, as if she had some guilt on her own situation – which, depending on who was asked, she did. To think that what she had needed back then wasn’t a grownup to take care of her, but a more experienced thief to aid her.

They paced side by side, the two thieves comparing notes on how the nobles had reacted to their yelling. Mostly they had screamed and shot the worst, most polished curses ever to exist the girls’ way. Some, just like the first family Byleth and Edelgard had scared, gave them chase but were easily outrun since few of them had stamina for it anyways.

All in all it had been a great way to test their new skill and how they could further enhance it. Dorothea had been spotted two times before she could even scream – not that she reported them to the group, as it felt like an admission of failure and another reason for the girls to abandon her – whereas the princess’s shoes ended up squeaking once, when she placed too much weight into her foot, and ruined that sole opportunity.

“We should do it again tomorrow or a few days later.” Dorothea chuckled at the thought, had had too much fun with it and saw the entire thing as minor payback to what she had been through all these years.

“Yeah, but only after you guys get better.” Byleth said, her fingers squeezing the silent princess’s with care. She wanted to talk to her, but wondered if she would even say something after all. “First you gotta creep up on me.”

“Now that will be a real challenge.” Edelgard spoke up after all, a small smile coloring her lips even if it didn’t touch her eyes. “Oh, is that the store?”

She pointed to a beautiful-looking place, a one-story building made of polished grey stone and decorated with several vases around it. Most held beautiful red carnations that rivalled those in the Enbarr Palace gardens, the sight enough to make her beam even more before closing up in sadness again. Outside, there were some tables and chairs made of iron which was molded in intricate, twirling styles, two to each side of the door.

A few people were sitting there, leisurely enjoying their treats alongside loved ones. They were so focused on that nice moment by the sun that they paid no mind to the three strange girls that approached slowly, almost reverently, one of them a bit downcast, another analytically taking stock of the situation and the last beaming and almost jumping up and down in glee.

“Yeah! That one exactly. It’s soooo pretty. One day I wanna get some stuff and actually sit by those chairs to enjoy it.” Dorothea exclaimed in glee, eyes wide as she daydreamed about what she had just said.

“You will, I am sure of that. Perhaps not today, or else the sellers might notice something is wrong, but one day you will.” Edelgard muttered, trying to infuse her voice with as much hope as she could.

“Stay here, I’ll go get them. Two each, ok? Hope you’re hungry.” Byleth announced, sent them one last accessing glance. She lingered the most on the little princess and offered her a smile before turning away and whistling on her way to the store.

“Okay, spill it. What’s wrong with you? All of a sudden you got all doom and gloom as if someone said you were about to die.” Dorothea pressed once the older thief was out of earshot range. At first she thought she didn’t care about the kid at all and would just let her mope, but something pulled at her heart at seeing her so sad like that. Even if her question had seemed more like an accusation, she had meant well.

“Apologies, truly. I did not mean to upset –“

“Stop being… what is it you say? Insowfferable. I really wanna know what’s going on.” She cut her short, a bit angry at that hedging yet concerned all the same. Was she actually trying to be friends with the girl? Well she did help her mother after all…

“Insufferable.” She corrected in a small voice, then sighed and went on. “It was fun to go scare those people, indeed. Yet at the same time it reminded me of my family, back in the Palace. You and Byleth have been very welcome to me in your own ways, of course, but I would be lying if I said I do not miss my siblings. Playing with them, sharing meals with them. Taunting my sister in her studies, creeping up to their beds at night…

“Sure, we have never been to Enbarr since Father has forbidden most of us from leaving the castle. But I could not help but wonder how nice it would be to stroll around the city with them. Attend the Mittelfrank in their company, then sing duets and the longest arias back at home. Have sherbets by those neat little tables. I… I am more than glad that Byleth saved me that night, that is true. But...”

“But you’d like to see your family again.” The other girl concluded when she found herself at a loss for words.

The princess nodded, then was surprised when she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace and her back was cosseted, a lot like one of her sisters used to do when she was upset.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Dorothea hummed, rocking their bodies side by side. “I, hm… I used to miss my dad the first weeks after mom and I were thrown out and he’s a bastard to begin with. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling, being away from a family that loves you and treats you well.” She confided, heart beating faster in sympathy for the kid. Human emotions didn’t discriminate in between nobles and commoners and it would be absurd for her to do so right there and then.

“I am sorry this has befallen you.” She commented, pulling away. She didn’t want Byleth to see them like that when she returned; talking about what had been plaguing her once had been enough. “It is awful to not know what will happen for now on, though. Will I ever see my siblings again? My father? Or am I to run away from my Uncle forever, else it will be my end?”

“You nobles and your knack for drama.” Dorothea shook her head and snickered, her eyes still kind so the girl wouldn’t bristle at her. “That’s impossible to say right now, Edie. And yeah, that sucks. I also have no idea what’ll happen to me. Will I live on the streets forever? Will somebody love me one day?”

She regretted that last sentence the moment she saw Edelgard’s lilac eyes go from self-pitying to confused and finally, warm. “Of course someone will! You are amazing and not only because you have a nice singing voice. You shall have piles and piles of love letters at your feet someday, with people going on fights or organizing tournaments in order to win your heart.”

“Again, nobles and their knack for drama.” She was laughing at the mental image of two knights fighting each other for her, though her mind was quick to inform her this would more than likely never come true.

“You have never said why your father threw you out. If you feel like sharing, I would like to know. I have heard of many instances in which this has happened, for several different reasons. Unfortunately, that is not as uncommon as one would think. Which is horrible, really.” The princess said, her eyes hardening at that last sentence. “Do you mind telling me?”

Usually Dorothea would. Whenever the occasional noble or worker took some pity on her and asked that same question, she would either hedge, lie or say it was none of their business (it always depended on the circumstance, of course). She was about to open her mouth and say something unrelated to the real cause, yet something in the princess’s glance and how she had been honest with her before made her relent. Would it hurt her to say the truth at least once? Would it change anything if she didn’t?

In any case, she didn’t want to fool the girl in front of her. That was why she said in the end: “I don’t bear a crest, like you do. Father wanted a child with one and I wasn’t her. He saw mom and I as ungrateful, since mother was a commoner who worked in his house to begin with. He took care of us until I failed to manifest a crest when I was eight, then saw it all as if we had abused his status and stuff. The night of my birthday we were kicked out.”

This time, Edelgard surprised her by taking her into an embrace, barely able to keep a sob to herself. It was no time to express her own emotions regarding a situation she hadn’t been part of. Dorothea had enough of these without her adding her feelings into the mix.

“How can a parent do that? On your birthday, no less. Goddess, I… I am so sorry, Thea.” The princess raved anyways, keeping most of her angry thoughts to herself. It would do no good if she gave in to such outrage right then. “And for a crest, no less! As if this were more important than you to begin with.”

“Tell me about it.” She agreed, delicately getting out of the hug with a small blush on her cheeks. She had never thought this would elicit such an emotional response from her, but then it was expected too, right? It must be hard for the noble to be face to face with her ilk’s own wrongdoing.

“Now it makes sense why you were so angry whenever crests were mentioned.” Edelgard mumbled as her mind put two and two together. “If I could… I would transfer my crest to you, then send you back to your father and make him accept you. After asking Father to punish him severely for his cruelty, of course.”

“Hehe, aren’t you a cute one. Now I know what Byleth sees in you.” Dorothea giggled, her heart soaring with those brave words and the empathy in her lilac irises. Yes, she had more than likely judged her too early. “It’s ok, I don’t wanna go back to his house anyways. He’s a jerk.”

“He is a major, unquestionable, insufferably moronic bastard!” The princess exclaimed, her voice a bit louder than usual, a few heads turning in her direction and making her blush.

“There there, it’s fine. I’ll meet him one day and tell him that the Imperial Princess Edelgard von Hresvelg has called him that. It’ll be fun.” She placated, a bit relieved to notice how both of them had turned a sad situation into a little joke.

“Do let him know that I shall tell the Emperor of his nefarious deeds and he will be punished accordingly as well.” The princess pouted, crossed her arms and looked away, angry at the thought of what had happened to that kid.

“Whatever you mean by that, yeah. Look, Byleth’s back and oh…”

“That is certainly more than two for each of us.” Edelgard commented, eyes wide as she sighed and shook her head, then wordlessly rushed to help her. “Dare I ask how you managed to- “

“Run.” The older girl said, shoving three sherbets bowls in her hand and another four on Dorothea’s. Around three more were cradled in her arms and they had absolutely no idea how she had managed to both steal and carry them outside to that begin with.

She didn’t have to say it twice, since as soon as the command was given and they did break into a dash, they heard angry grownups yelling behind them, trying to give chase. All previous worries temporarily forgotten, they giggled and slipped away into the city that housed, hid and helped them grow even if in a very unconventional way.

The storeowners took even less time to give up going after them than the families had earlier on. Soon the three children were huddling in an alley with two unknown kids, who eyed the treats in their arms with desire, hunger and an actual need.

“Come, have some. Apparently a certain _somebody_ does not know the meaning of only getting the amount we can consume.” Edelgard said, offering the tallest, unknown girl a bowl while shooting Byleth a teasing evil stare.

“You guys deserve it.” The older thief said, shrugging as if it had meant nothing – even though she had almost gotten them into trouble. But then, it had been too easy to get her hands full.

And although her thinking she needed to get a lot of treats since they deserved it was cute, well, it wasn’t really practical. By the time they did divide the total amount equally between the five of them, the sherbets were already melting.

“We gotta eat this fast.” Dorothea remarked when she started digging into her orange one and was amazed at how good it felt. The tangy taste, lightly sweet, made her smile when she realized she was finally having the dessert she had daydreamed with for months, in the company of friends and others in the same condition as them. “But not too fast or it’ll hurt your… well I tried.”

The other four kids giggled when Edelgard placed her dessert on the floor and put both hands to her temples in pain. “S-so cold.” She mumbled, which only elicited more laughs.

“Hey, you’re cool. Thanks for sharing too.” The smallest child said, placing a hand on Edelgard’s calf. The princess opened one eye and smiled at him, glad to see she had made someone else happy that day. She was still sad at being away from her family, but somehow seeing that boy reminded her of her own younger brother, who she used to pamper and give treats when no one was watching.

“You are welcome, little one.” She said, then gave him the other, still untouched bowl that had been separated for her. “You can have this one too, it is ok. I am not hungry.”

His oldest sister had to pull him away from Edelgard, as after that he really didn’t want to stop hugging the nice, generous girl who spoke a bit funny but had aided them in that too warm day.

They ended up striking a conversation with the siblings, discovered they had been thrown in the streets after their parents had been unable to pay their debts for housing and food. That had been around three years ago, with the grownups dying a few months after when they tried robbing a noble who knew his way with weapons. The story touched their hearts, especially Edelgard’s, so much so that Byleth silently thanked them and walked the two girls back to their own alley after she deemed they had heard enough.

All in all, it had been a pretty eventful day and it was about time for it to be over - or almost. After the princess reminded them it would be a good idea to keep applying some sort of medicine to Cerys’s wound, they concocted something new with the herbs they still had in abundance. The resulting oil was of a horrid color, very different from the one they had gotten before, but if it was having any sort of effect on the woman then why not?

Edelgard was the only one willing to get close to that gaping injury in the woman’s back, which somehow looked blacker than before if such a thing was even possible. She shrugged at that thought and applied the oil anyways; maybe it getting dark like that meant she was healing in some way, that new skin would be growing soon. She didn’t know, but the fact Dorothea’s mother had seemed stronger and more lucid earlier had to be a good sign, right?

She hoped so. Hearing about those two kids’ parents dying had been enough for one day, she thought as she finished bathing the ulcer in oil and massaging it with her fingers. The circular motions calmed her mind a bit, but that didn’t stop her from releasing a loud sigh – something that called Byleth’s attention to her as well.

The older child hadn’t taken her eyes away from her ever since she had become sad outside of the sherbet store. For Edelgard, it was comforting to know someone was looking after her in that strange, scary setting, but she didn’t want her to worry in that way.

“Think that’s enough already. Now come, get some sleep.” Byleth commented with a smile.

The princess had to glance at the street to note that yes, it was dark and night had fallen at some point. She hadn’t really noticed that, given how enshrouded in her own thoughts she had been during that afternoon – no, make that the whole day even. Nevertheless, she nodded to the two kids watching her and stopped beside the place where their belongings were stacked in a haphazard way, grabbed something small before joining them where they were leaning against a wall.

“Oh, the bracelet that started this whole thing.” Dorothea laughed, amused, when she saw what was on Edelgard’s hands. They both took a place on Byleth’s lap and sighed in relief when they were embraced. “Shouldn’t have stolen it at all.”

“You should, or we’d never meet you.” The older girl commented, shaking her head. “It’s pretty, El.”

El. Hearing the nickname made too many things course through the princess’s chest, a mixture of excitement and happiness at being called like that overthrowing some lingering homesickness. She had a family of sorts now, with two other girls who were keeping her company and making her days very different from before. And she would be lying if she said that wasn’t enjoyable, too.

“It is, indeed.” The princess agreed, her hands working through the laced silver encased with rubies here and there. Her nails caught on the simple, yet adorned clasp and she toyed with it for a moment, delicately in order to not destroy it. “Father told me he gifted my mom this when he learned that she was expecting me.” Her face lit up with a smile, even though tiredness was finally getting to her and her eyes were almost closing. “Hence it is only fair that it should be mine when I am old enough to wear it.

“Perhaps it was supposed to be given to me on my wedding, even, since it has so much significance to my parents and the love they shared. ‘You shall gift this to the person you choose to live with. It will ensure that you have long, loving days ahead of you, just as I had with your mom.’ That was another thing Father used to say to me, too.” Reminiscence made her beam, hold the bracelet against her chest as if that meant keeping her mother close. For her, it did. It was the only way she could do so after all.

“Oooh fancy.” Dorothea said after a yawn, her eyes shining at the mention of love. “Will you really do that? Cause usually we give rings to those we wanna marry.”

“I am aware of that, yes. I know nothing of love, but would it be wrong to give your person something else other than a ring?” She had fully closed her eyes at that moment, her mind still attentive but barely hanging on.

“Nah.” Byleth answered. “Who cares about rings and stuff, it’s how you feel that really matters, right?” She had seen enough couples forming and dissolving within the Blade Breakers as the years went by and could attest that no amount of stuff could repair a relationship that had somehow gone wrong.

Two sets of surprised eyes glanced up at her after that and she shrugged. “What?”

“Nothing. Just really perceptive of you.” Dorothea answered. “I know I wouldn’t care for gifts if the person giving them is a jerk.”

“What about a major, unquestionable, insufferably moronic bastard?” Edelgard opened up one eye just to see the other girl’s reaction to that and was glad when her words were met with a laugh.

“Even worse, little princess, even worse. Now get to sleep and no, I won’t sing for you every damn night, this isn’t the Mittelfrank.” She added and was received with a giggle.

“Don’t be insowfferable, Dorothea.” Byleth said and made both of them chuckle again.

“Insufferable, Byleth. Good night.” The princess whispered in a light voice, thinking how cute she was with the way she mispronounced things, a hand on her bracelet and another kneading the older thief’s back.

“Night.”

The two younger girls fell asleep on her lap before they could hear some coughs to their right. Byleth remained awake for longer, kept watch over Cerys until she fell silent, wondering if that was a good or a bad sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The kids go scare some nobles, aka how to be foolish when you live in a big city like Enbarr and one of you is a proficient thief. Also it was about time for El and Dorothea to become more friendly, right? There's no need for these two to dislike each other like that.   
> As for the title, well, it was impossible to not go with that as both Byleth and Dorothea stumbled over the word XD
> 
> Time for a little announcement! i'm taking part in an amazing collab project with many many talented writers. And we shall bring you... The Fodlan Olympics! It's been so nice to work on it (my chapter will feature Catherine and Shamir playing beach volleyball hehe). We have all sorts of stuff on twitter already, such as what everyone's doing, illustrations (we have a flag, guys) and so on. Check it out @Fodlan_Olympics
> 
> And as always, thank you so much for reading :)


	9. Sothis Above, Stealing Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth, Edelgard and Dorothea fall into some sort of routine with stealing and training. In that particular day, they decide it's a good idea to see if the princess would be able to choose a weapon for herself. After being chased away by an angry storeowner, they find themselves in a different part of the city and are drawn to a cathedral, a place most of them had never seen before.

Sometimes their days were more chaotic, with them going into lots of stores to get as many products as they wanted to or could put into their basket. They got a bigger one not too long after that disastrous sherbet episode, which only ended up enabling Dorothea to come up with more ideas on what they should get.

Those lists were quite unpredictable and could have everything from books, actual jewelry, a slice of pastry she had heard some noble families praising to high heavens, clothes, fancy pens (no one understood why, since she never actually sat down to write with them, just keeping them as toys and something to collect) and finally, swords.

She had taken to the weapon after that first day and was ecstatic whenever Byleth announced she would teach her something new. While those classes progressed, Edelgard was more than happy to watch and not take part, since she had already decided she was hopeless at it and would be “in the way of the truly talented”, as she said it. No matter how many times the older kid had tried talking her into it, or at least into slashing it for fun just because, she wouldn’t relent.

In one of those days, the princess was busily taking care of Cerys’s wound whereas the two other girls had another practice match. The clanging sound of metal on metal was a distraction, as she applied another strange concoction they had made with those herbs – which were now beginning to become dry and wrinkled. She had turned the woman around almost by herself, with Byleth helping a bit so she wouldn’t tilt and slump all over El, but mostly it was as if she had wordlessly agreed to be the woman’s caretaker.

But then, that was for the best, right? Dorothea was too emotionally involved, as she should be, and one glance into the still blackening, ugly wounds on her back was enough to make the girl tear up. They had no idea if their treatment was working, since although the grownup was waking up more often than before, there were moments in which she was strong and in others, she’d need help to drink water and eat something. There were also the nightly coughs, which they had been hearing more and more as of late.

Byleth was good when it came to procedures such as turning her around or dealing with her when she was awake, but for some reason couldn’t bear to get near the wound as well. The princess made a mental note to ask why whenever they were out of Dorothea’s earshot (something hard nowadays, as the three had become almost inseparable) while her fingers massaged the damaged, ugly skin in soothing circles.

More than that, she wished she could have a proper talk with Cerys herself, too. Ask why the woman had manifested such an interest in her that day, if she even remembered it since people did crazy stuff while in fevered states, and if there was something she wanted to tell her. Had they met before? Dorothea did say they used to be part of the nobility and many noble families used to visit the Enbarr palace on a semi-regular basis.

However, she couldn’t remember either of them, at least not in that moment, even though it would be safe to assume she could have just not paid attention when or if they were there. It wasn’t often that the princess focused on whatever other adults were saying to Marina and her father, especially if such visits occurred during dinners or anywhere near her bedtime, after an exhausting day of lessons and whatnot. She was content to not be the next in line exactly due to stuff like that – she’d die of boredom if she were supposed to listen to adults whining in her ears all the time.

Nevertheless, she was sure Dorothea would have been even more hostile if they had met before she was thrown on the streets. Or maybe she would remember and say something; that girl had a very good memory all things considered, would be the first to point out where they had already stolen from and when. So no, Edelgard almost concluded when she was done with spreading what she hoped was medicinal oil on those bruises (had there been more than one before?), paying special attention to the deepest one. No, they had not met before at all and maybe Cerys was just feverish. Or mixing her up with someone else.

“En garde!” Someone screamed next to her, making her squeak and turn abruptly to meet that person.

A second later, there was a sword pointed at her throat. She had to make herself remain still or else her flinching would have made the point actually puncture the skin. Dorothea was obviously the one behind that stunt, her breath hitching due to the practice, sweat glistening on her skin since the days had been becoming hotter and hotter as time went by.

She started giggling as soon as she saw how the princess had become pale, her pretty lilac eyes wide in terror, muscles clenched. Edelgard’s fingers were smeared with the brownish oil they had made for her mother, though most of it was already gone and it had looked like she was done with it. But the look of terror in her face was too priceless and soon the girl was laughing more than she had in days.

“Hey, no fun.” Byleth said, then pouted when she gently took the sword out of a wheezing Dorothea. “You could’ve hurted her.”

“Oh c’mon, you know I’m better than that.” Dorothea spoke in between fits of laugher. “But her face, you gotta admit it’s priceless.”

The older thief took a moment to make sure Edelgard wasn’t hurt in any way, shape or form, then actually looked at her frozen stance and giggled too. “You’re right. She’s a statue now.”

With that, they laughed even more and let go of their weapons, making loud clangs echo through the alley. Maybe it was the sound, or the fact that they were both unarmed now, but finally the princess moved and her pale cheeks became crimson as she realized what had gone on.

“That is not funny at the slightest!” She exploded, trying to mask her embarrassment with anger. “You could have hurt me and Byleth, I did think you wanted to keep me safe.”

“I do, I do.” The older girl replied, grinning widely at her. “But your scared face was too good.”

“Hmpf, you are a lazy protector then, letting your student point a weapon at me.” She huffed, tentatively bent her knees to grab Dorothea’s latest sword. It was golden all over and had beautiful stones etched in the hilt, though in a way that wasn’t uncomfortable to hold. The blade, however, was contorted in zigzags instead of being a straight line. “That is a very uncanny weapon you have picked, if I can say so myself.”

“It’s a good one. Not your usual thing, but then that’s fine by me.” Dorothea said while drying her eyes from the tears that had gathered there. It wasn’t often that she found herself laughing this much, realized such instances had become more frequent since befriending the other two. She paced to the princess and retrieved the sword, unwilling to have her try it out like that. There were plenty in the stash she could get, but that one was special to her, in a way. It seemed like it had called to her, when they stole it from a store two days ago. “Also, it scared you, so. That’s enough in my book.”

“Even the smallest dagger is scary when it is but a breath away from your throat.” She argued, miffed. The last thing she wanted was to be turned into their laughing stock just for something like that.

Sure, so Edelgard had still to get a weapon and learn how to fight, as her experience with the dagger hadn’t been a good one and resulted with her almost tripping and actually stabbing Byleth by mistake, but anyways. That should be a reason for them to keep her out of those things, not to taunt her even more.

Dorothea had half a mind to call her out on her fiasco at learning how to use such a small weapon, but decided that would indeed be a bit too much. It was fun to pester her, to see her flushed cheeks whenever she was flustered and stammered more than talked. There was a limit to such things, though, and she had been trying to be more friendly after the princess opened up to her in the sherbet fiasco day.

“Yeah, but I’m sure you’d laugh if you saw your face.” She shot back instead, petting her head a few times like she had seen Byleth do before. The girl was too cute at times, that was true, even more so when she got that embarrassed over nothing.

“Hey, s-stop that.” Edelgard protested, her cheeks growing even more crimson if such a thing was possible. “Anyways.” She cleared her throat, trying to move on to another topic before they could make any sort of comment about her. “We are running low in bread, fruits and water. We can get the latter from the fountain tonight, but the others are on a rather critical point.”

“Good, let’s go then. Nice day for stealing and stuff.” Byleth announced, picked up her own sword and set it aside. She was pumped after that practice with Dorothea, who had been improving more and more as the days went by. She didn’t think the girl would master that weapon soon, but at the same time it was interesting to see her progression and enthusiasm with it.

“Ugh, I do not agree to this whatsoever, but at the same time…” The princess whispered once the three of them stepped foot outside of the alleyway.

It was indeed a beautiful day, Byleth was right about that. There were no clouds in that very blue sky and the sun was shining strong, unhindered. Temperatures had been rising recently and that, along with how it seemed that the sun was taking longer and longer to set, made Edelgard wonder if they hadn’t already stepped into summer. She had no way to know, as they neither owned a calendar nor bothered to ask the date when they went out and about. Time had become meaningless to her after that fateful night and she had no idea how long it had been since she had last seen her family, slept on a mattress and had lessons to attend.

Sure, she had her own little family right there, with two other girls close to her in age, as well as more freedom to go about her days as she pleased, only having to accompany them on a heist or two – plus apply some medicine to the woman lying asleep in their alley. The break from routine had been… good, in some weird and twisted way, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t worrying about how things would be like in the future-to-come almost on a daily basis.

Because in her mind she knew that was not how her life would go on forever. She was there on borrowed time, maybe only delaying the inevitable. There were so many ways she could think of for them to be separated (with the most obvious of it being Imperial guards actually finding her, though the mystery of their absence had yet to be explained), she usually preferred to not dwell on those thoughts; they would only manage to make her sad and downcast, something her partners in crime could pick up on rather too easily.

She had never been one to fret, wonder and theorize, before. When her every need was taken care of with the snap of a finger or a complaint to her vassal (as long as those wishes were within the realm of possibilities and followed all the rules she had to abide by). When there were adults nearby and the sight of guards was enough to make her feel safe and sound inside the palace.

Now, with how things were going, it wasn’t rare for her to overthink matters way into the night, to the point she would need Byleth to tell her everything would be ok, then caress her until she fell asleep. Or on the rare opportunities they were able to talk Dorothea into singing for them, that would be the only distraction she would get from too many ‘what ifs’ and ‘what nows’.

“Are you there, Eldegard?” The older thief’s voice cut through her reverie, making her flinch in surprise given how close she sounded.

After learning that she indeed could say her name correctly, hearing that blasphemy of a mispronunciation only made her even angrier. “Yes, I am right here, thank you very much. And I would appreciate it if you said my name the right way, as I know you are more than capable of doing.”

Dorothea whistled, as if she had done something impressive, and she realized too late how peeved she had sounded while saying that, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks.

“Heehee, you’re still insowfferable about it.” Byleth answered, holding the smaller hand in hers and squeezing it for emphasis.

“The more you correct her, the worse she’ll butcher your name, I’m afraid.” The other thief said, a small smirk on her lips. “Even more so since she knows you dislike it. Eldelgard.”

“Not you too!” She yelled a bit too loudly while the girls laughed at her face and cross tone. Some adults nearby turned to look at her, all nobles who tutted at her lack of manners and turned to comment on it with their partners and kids. That only made her feel worse – they weren’t supposed to judge her, she was royalty after all.

“Loosen up, little princess, or else you’ll get wrinkles all over that pretty face just for frowning too much.” Dorothea commented, then shot her a look behind Byleth’s back and made a funny face by crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue.

That did make her laugh, some color fading from her face, but she still shook her head at the silliness behind the entire thing. She turned her glance to the skies instead and let the two girls guide them to where they thought it would be best – she wasn’t one to pitch in when it came to stuff like that anyways. Their low voices became background noise, soothing but meaningless as she let her mind wander one more time.

Something that intensified whenever she happened to glance at the Enbarr palace, which stood tall and proud a bit far away. It was impossible to make out distinguishing features from that distance, but there was no denying that was the place where she had been born and grown up in. It felt surreal at times, that she was now outside of it, glancing at it from so far away as well.

She realized after a while that they were no longer walking and had stopped in what seemed to be the center of the city, more or less. They usually avoided raiding too many stores there, as it was usually very crowded and one never knew when a guard or another could actually show up.

“So, little one, you wanna pick a weapon for yourself?” Byleth queried, tilting her head in her direction and scrutinizing her, as if trying to divine what her thoughts were. Though it didn’t take a genius to understand what that was all about, the way she was glancing at the palace and so on.

“Oh, hm, I do not think I am actually fit for fighting after all.” The girl said in a small voice, though a warmth ran through her body at being called ‘little one’ again. It had been a while since that had happened.

“Blah, are you really giving up like that? It can’t be that a commoner like me has more guts than you.” Dorothea taunted, but dropped it the next moment when Edelgard just shook her head.

“Commoners, nobles. Is that really a necessary division? Here I am, a noble living on the streets. The same applies to you, of course, even if your mother was not of royal origins to begin with. Life just happens to everyone and circumstances change. It is trivial to keep people apart like that.” She gushed, not angry but somewhat passionate. It was something she had been thinking about for the last few days, after all.

“Yeah, agree. Dad never cared for titles and now I see why.” Byleth said, emphatically nodding. “But what’ll you do, then? Just stand around, cry?”

Questioning, vibrant lilac eyes met her grounding, calm indigo ones. That was when the princess realized she had never thought about that part, about doing something practical about it. She should have, truth be told. She knew better than anyone else that conjecture would take them nowhere.

“I do not know. Maybe I am too young to have some answer to that.” She mused, then shook her head. “Perhaps what matters is what I can do right now, isn’t that so?”

“Yeah. And I tell you, right now you should pick a weapon. I’ll teach you how to fight.” The older girl said, beaming a bit in encouragement. “You said you wanna be a warrior. So go and choose, little warrior.”

Edelgard glanced away, overwhelmed by all the support she saw in those irises. She realized the central plaza was a bit less crowded in that day, for some reason or another, but as always there were no guards. The stores were open, displaying flashier clothes and artifacts than they commonly did, with the few people that were indeed around consisting solely of nobles going on a shopping spree. For what, she didn’t know, nor did she care at that moment in time.

Her eyes were drawn to the one place in there that sold weapons of every size, shape and form. They could see enough from the outside without having to go in, since its doors were wide open and there was no one browsing their racks. She nodded and looked, focusing as much as she could so some answer would come to her. Something had to call her attention, right? There was no way she would ever be a good fighter if she couldn’t even figure out…

“That one.” The answer came unbridled, more an intuition than anything else, and it took her a moment to notice what exactly her mind had chosen.

She was surprised to see it was a golden axe, though it was clear it was painted that color and not actually made from the metal since in several places one could see a cold grey underneath. The handle spotted some rubies – or stones that looked like one, she didn’t know anymore – and as to size, it wasn’t the biggest thing ever. Maybe she would be able to wield it with minor problems, once she got used to the weight. Yes, all in all, it did seem a good choice.

“Gotcha. Anything for you, Dorothea?” Byleth asked, smiling at the object in question.

“Oh no, I’m happy with Twisty.” When the other two shot her inquisitive stares, she went on: “Twisty, the sword with the funny blade.” That made them giggle, but she chose to ignore it anyways. “Go get her that thing before someone else comes in. Jeez.”

The older thief mock bowed, then spun on the points of her feet and walked into the store as if she owned it – and to be honest, maybe she would if she ever decided to steal everything from there. Suffice to say, five minutes later they were running away from an angry old man who thought he would ever catch up to the three kids, fake golden axe safely tucked under their arms and wrapped in some protective sheet, no less.

“Ok, so how did you go about it this time?” Dorothea queried once they reached another part of the city, very far away from the plaza in question. She didn’t know a lot about where they were, since there wasn’t any major or interesting store to talk about. Mostly that area was composed of residential houses, neither ritzy nor poor, but a comfortable middle point.

“Told him my dad needed a new axe and pointed to this one. He asked if I had money, I showed him our little coins.” They snickered at it, since they did carry around a small pocket with money in case it was needed, for situations such as that one. “He said he’d get it all nice and ready so I not cut myself, then gave me it. I waved byebye and ran.”

“Grownups.” Dorothea jeered, laughing at the tale and shaking her head. She knew they could be blind and stupid, but sometimes it was just too much. It made her wonder if they had ever been kids before, or were just born like that.

“There you go, El.” Byleth said, passing the folded axe to the silent little girl. “Careful, it’s heavy.”

“Thank you, really. You should not have gone to all that trouble.” She answered with a shy smile, receiving the weapon with both hands and already expecting to drop it once the older girl let it go.

The three of them were surprised when quite the opposite happened and she actually managed to raise it a little bit, since her arms had been ready to receive a lot of weight. The best feeling ever coursed through her when she realized that was the case and also at how… right that was. As if she had meant to hold it from the beginning, instead of those stupid swords and daggers.

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Dorothea said as she noticed the several emotions going through the girl’s face. “Just be careful when swinging that around, I like my head being over my neck and shoulders.”

“We’ll have class later.” Byleth said, sounding and looking excited. She had briefly gone through some axe lessons with Jeralt and the Blade Breakers, enough so she knew her way around it if there was ever the need to get one and use it on the battlefield. Her expertise was still swords, but she wasn’t bad with other weapons.

“That is good, yes. Because I was wondering if we could go there for a little while first.” The princess said, pointing straight ahead at a huge, beautiful building the other two had missed.

It was made of the same silvery stone that was probably used to its extinction when Enbarr was made, but it was decorated with greens in several tones that distinguished it from the other houses around. It was both wide and tall, with a dome instead of a flat ceiling and two pillars on each side of the regal-looking, arched doorway. Over the mahogany door there was a rectangular patch of stained glass, mostly in tones of blue and green.

Since they were rather far away and there wasn’t enough sunlight going there, they couldn’t really make out what it was depicting. Later on, they would be able to decipher it as an image of a smiling, green-haired woman, wearing a loose white dress, blessing Fódlan and the land as a whole with her outstretched hands, crops springing from cracked, desolate grounds to greet her in return.

“What is it?” The older thief inquired, intrigued by the mysterious building and the sense of calm that washed over her when she saw it.

“What, you’ve never seen a cathedral before?” Dorothea retorted, amazed. It would be one thing for Edelgard to not know it, since she had led a sheltered life insofar, but for Byleth to ask it, that sounded suspicious. Though it did make sense, she wasn’t really religious either.

“A what?”

The other two just turned to glance at her in exasperation, then sighed at the same time and shook their heads. She pouted and looked at them pleadingly, eager for an explanation and on why that place felt so weird to her. It was hard to say why, but maybe when she learned what it was for it would make some sense.

“It is a place for sacred rituals and religious things. Like praying.” Since her face remained a blank, the princess went on: “Hm… Praying is like… you thank the Goddess for everything you have and all the blessings in your life, then ask for what you want, not only for yourself but others around you too.”

She stopped, staring at the grand cathedral and all the imagery, before turning back to her companions and asking: “Like good stealing? Can I ask for that?”

Dorothea giggled, placing a hand on her arm. “Now, I don’t think the Goddess would like that, even if it’s what we do.”

“But it’s what keeps us alive… Well, that’s no good then.” Byleth muttered, still unable to look away from that incredible place. It felt alien, yes, a universe of its own, separated from Enbarr even if it blended in with the colors. “You wanna go in?”

“Y-yes, I… I have always done my prayers at home and only heard of cathedrals before. Or seen them in paintings. This is the first time I am face to face with one.” Edelgard confessed, her eyes wide with wonder. She couldn’t decide what she liked the most about the entire building, the way it reflected some sunlight or the eerie, majestic aura it exuded. “So if you do not mind… I would love to stay in for a few minutes. You do not have to join me.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Mom used to be a devout and taught me some stuff. I’ll go too.” Dorothea announced, already taking a few steps towards it. She had to admit she had pretty much lost her faith in the last few months, couldn’t remember the last time she had said her nightly prayers or done any thinking about the Goddess at all. Her mind had been too consumed with worry for her mother and surviving in that hostile atmosphere. The respite would be more than welcome, after all.

“No point in not going.” Byleth shrugged, took the axe from the smaller girl and casually held it under her arm. “They’ll look at you weird if they see you carrying this. It’s a place for peace, right?”

“It is, indeed. That is very thoughtful of you.” El beamed, glad they had decided to accompany her. She would be fine with going in alone, but it was always fun to have these two around.

The closer they got, the more they realized they shouldn’t have worried about being seen with what was blatantly a weapon, though, as the cathedral was pretty much empty. Apart from a few monks who were walking around and doing whatever they could to leave it clean and not completely unkempt, there was no one preying in the benches nor going in to look at the altar. That was good, since they felt safer without being watched than if there had been lots of people in there, but Edelgard had counted on it being a little more crowded regardless. Weren’t them in a city cramming with so-called nobles and rich people? Shouldn’t those lead by example and go to church every so often?

Was that one more way in which she had been fooled about the world, or lived in a fantasy of her own? She didn’t know, but at that moment in time was more relieved than sad about the whole thing.

They slowly meandered into the front of the cathedral and gawked at the mural, finally being able to make out the image of a Goddess, tall and sublime-looking in white garments, blessing the land with light that left her open hands. Up close, they could see more and more details etched on the walls, small symbols that Dorothea and Edelgard deciphered as crests – both made a face at them, as now even the princess was a bit miffed in regards to those, after talking to the other girl.

The doorway was encased in them, as well as small emeralds and other stones they couldn’t name. And inside… It was even prettier than the outside, with sunlight slanting through the stained glass that stood for windows, coloring the ground with hues of pink, green, yellow, orange, white and blue. A long green carpet made its way from the entrance to the ornate altar, with pews orderly placed on both sides of it, granting ample sitting space for people when rituals were to take place. There was a second floor, which was mostly visible if one stood in front of the altar and looked back, with rails encasing it and what seemed to be an ancient, huge pipe organ behind.

There were vases all around the cathedral, beside the benches as well as in front of the statue on the altar table. In it stood flowers of different colors and sizes, some of which the princess had previously seen in the gardens of Enbarr. She was particularly fond of the red carnations, since she used to keep some of them in her room for decoration, and chose to sit on a bench that had those at its side. Waited as the other two took their time glancing and taking stock of the cathedral, maybe getting used to the very distinct atmosphere the place exuded.

“How do you feel, Byleth?” Edelgard inquired after a while, since Dorothea had already taken a seat beside her and the older kid had yet to do the same.

“Dunno. Still off.” The older thief said, unsure if there were actually words to convey what she was experiencing at that moment.

A part of her was completely at peace, that was true. Maybe it was the lower lights or its amazing colors, a silence which was a contrast to the usual noises of the Capital, the lack of people and cooler temperatures indoors. Or perhaps there was really a so-called Goddess that was in that place, even if they couldn’t see her, and made everything seem alright and calm.

Or she had just gotten caught up on Edelgard’s things, as unlikely as it seemed, and was thinking too much out of a simple situation.

She couldn’t deny there was an appeal to those religious grounds, though, something that tugged at her and made her slightly awed. How not to, when there were so many statues big and small, the flowers, the stained glass, the jewels at the pretty, rectangular altar table and those tall green candles with their hypnotic, ululating flames casting light all around them even in the middle of the day?

However, it was when she spotted a small, circular basket with a white cloth underneath it – and its contents – that she really smiled. In it, there was an assortment of valuables, from glimmering golden coins to small stones and pieces of jewelry. She had no idea what that was for and why those things would remain in the open like that, but regardless of where she was, she would always be a good thief. And a good thief would not let an opportunity like that pass by.

She turned back once and was surprised to see both girls kneeling on the floor in front of the pews, hands poised with fingers intertwined and eyes closed, focused expressions in their faces. For a few seconds she simply stared, unable to take her eyes away from that sight, wondering why they were doing those things and what it meant. Realizing she was actually wasting time, she shook her head and beamed, took slow and silent steps forward until she was face to face with that little basket, which stood on a platform of its own right in front of the altar itself.

Now the trick would be to get what she wanted without alerting the others by sound. She was sure they wouldn’t approve of her ransacking a holy ground and the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her friends. She edged forward languidly, as hurrying that process would be her downfall, and very gently used her thumb and index finger as a pinch to slowly lift a beautiful gilded necklace with a star-shaped emerald charm out of the mix.

That was tucked away into her clothes, as their basket was with Dorothea, and she wasted no time finding another object she could get as easily as that one. When she spotted another piece of jewelry like the first one, but with a sparkly, purple stone in the form of a crescent moon, she knew that was it. The same process was repeated over and over, and after another three minutes she had more stuff in her pockets than she had ever thought she would be able to get away with. Now if she could only get some of those coins… Not that they used them, but it never hurt to have some money-

“Byleth? What in the name of Sothis above do you think you are doing?”

The princess’s rather loud voice startled her, since they had been in silence for so long, right when she was about to fish her first coin out from the stack. She flinched, the movement abrupt enough to make the basket tilt and fall to the ground with a clang, its contents spilling all around and under the altar table.

“Oh no. Tell me you weren’t about to…” Edelgard began, anger rising to her face in a furious blush. “That is unbelievable!”

“Is it? Once a thief, always a thief.” Dorothea said once she was able to gain some control over her fits of laugher, then rose to her feet and went to join Byleth. “But I have to agree, it’ll be no good if someone sees us aaand you probably alerted some monks already. Let’s put ‘em back, quick.”

“I shall not be part of this.” The princess huffed, closed her eyes and tried to keep on praying even though she was too angry to focus – and the clinging sounds of coins being handled was distracting to say the least.

“Good, so you won’t be mad if we…” Dorothea whispered when she squatted beside a flustered Byleth and, instead of placing every coin back in the basket, put some into her own clothes as well. When the older thief turned to look at her in a questioning way, she winked and said: “Our little secret. Won’t tell if you don’t.”

They shared a mischievous smile and kept going, put the basket back on its place after they were ‘done’ and went back to join a suspicious-looking Edelgard on the pew.

“You still thanking? Or you have loads to ask for?” Byleth inquired as she got to her knees and copied her position.

“Hmpf, now I have to ask for forgiveness for _your_ blasphemy as well.” The princess retorted, shaking her head in disdain at the entire thing. She couldn’t believe that girl had had the courage to actually try stealing from an actual religious place. “Have you no care for your future, your destiny, your soul?”

“Course I do, why else would I get that stuff? Need to make sure I’ll have plenty to eat and stay alive in the future.” The older girl answered as if that were the most obvious concept in the entire world.

A logic that, honestly, was sounder than Edelgard wanted to admit. She shook her head and returned to her prayers again just as some monks returned, alerted by the sounds of coins falling a (rather long) while ago. They searched for something that could have caused that, but at first didn’t even bother to pay attention to the three girls kneeling in that particular bench. Their long white robes swirled over the floor, yet otherwise everything was quiet yet again.

“Probably just a mouse.” One of them muttered as she finished inspecting the cathedral, then stopped by to check on the kids, who opened their eyes to regard her once they noticed she had come closer. “Such little angels, you three. Never stop believing in the Goddess and She will always answer to your prayers.”

“May She always harken to yours too.” Edelgard solemnly replied with a cherubic smile that made the grownup coo before pacing away from them.

“Such clueless people.” Dorothea whispered a few seconds later, making Byleth guffaw and the princess shake her head in exasperation. Those monks came a few seconds later, made sure candles were lit and the altar was completely set.

The time for thieving was over, they realized as some people started arriving and the monks kept decorating, watching the gathering crowd and giving proper blessings. Although there were only a few mutterings here and there, the silence was long gone and soon Edelgard could no longer focus on what she had been asking for.

“We should go, apparently it is about to get more crowded here.” The princess mumbled, sitting on the bench and gathering the axe they had hidden underneath it.

“Nah, we gotta stay.” Byleth said, an amused glean in her eyes. “More people mean more chance to pickpocket.”

“How many times will I have to tell you it is not ok to do any thieving in the house of Sothis?” El hissed in anger, which made some of the adults send her scathing glances. She blushed furiously due to that, feeling even more irked that the other girl was making her go through that.

Dorothea, as always, was simply watching and having fun. “Leave her be, Edie. She does have a point and honestly, if she prayed for good steals and is getting her wish granted, then her prayers are being answered.”

“I shall not partake in your twisted view of religion. For the good of my soul. You may taint yours all you like, just do not say I have not warned you.” She turned to look ahead and pretended to be enthralled with the altar, which was complete with a detailed figure of Saint Seiros that depicted her in a standing position, glancing at the sky while pointing her sword up.

Although she had the deepest respect for religion and was very devout to Goddess Sothis, somehow she failed to entertain the same thought about Saint Seiros herself. She couldn’t explain why, but she was rather disdainful of the warrior and her tales, even though most of the faith was centered on her deeds. It was almost as if they sounded a bit too… much for her. As if the saint were trying to outshine the Goddess which was her Mother to begin with – and the Mother of all, as well.

That made her feel guilty and blush again; she quickly closed her eyes and started asking for forgiveness due to her thoughts. No, maybe she would learn to like her better when she herself started being more of a warrior. Who knew, maybe she should ask Seiros for strength and help at mastering the sword – the saint had to be good with one, right? She was always seen with them, in paintings and statues alike.

Truth be told, she had almost forgotten about her little failure with the weapon when she started praying, focusing the most on thanking the Goddess for sending Byleth her way in that strange, scary night and for all that had followed. For them finding an alley to stay and a friend in Dorothea, even if sometimes the two had their moments of animosity. For all they had had to eat, the clothes to wear and a place to bath, too.

It wasn’t the life she had been used to, but she found out she could live with that. With lying her head against Byleth’s chest and falling asleep like that, her coat thrown over them for warmth. Lulled by a song or two, when Dorothea had been convinced to sing. And… all in all, they had remained safe, hadn’t them? There were no guards around even after so many days and weeks had passed by. And while that realization made her happy, she also felt a pang in her heart at the realization that maybe her actual family had all but forgotten about her.

Shaking her head, she decided those thoughts couldn’t have a place there. She focused then on asking for what she needed. And that was… well, for them to keep having good luck, enough to eat, a place to sleep. For Dorothea’s mom to improve – and that was the point she lingered on the most within her prayers. Finally, for them to always stay friends and for no harm to ever come to them.

Yes, she thought as she opened her eyes again and glanced up at the domed ceiling, which she then realized was celestial blue and not stony silver or green as the rest, she couldn’t bear the thought of them getting hurt. Even more so if it were to happen in her expense.

Edelgard was about to open her mouth and ask again for them to reconsider and go when the big mahogany doors to the cathedral were pulled close, just after a last figure went in. Six monks appeared from behind the altar and placed themselves, three on each side, their hands raised as magic flowed through their fingers. Soon all candles inside the building came to light, even the ones hanging in candelabras they had failed to notice before, and the cathedral was engulfed in a comforting, brilliant gleam.

A new figure emerged from the front of the cathedral and they stared in awe at their fancier robes, now in vibrant green instead of the white worn by the monks. Details in silver were embroidered in their long sleeves and chest, with some golden here and there forming the Crest of Seiros on their hood and sides. The belt tightened around their waist was also silver, with similar etchings and what looked like words in ancient writing.

“Who’s that?” Byleth said, leaning into Edelgard to whisper the question in her ear.

“A bishop, most likely. They are a higher rank than the ones we saw before, that is certain.” The princess answered, copying her gesture and wondering why that felt so nice, as if they were sharing some sort of secret.

Once positioned in the center of the giant cathedral, the person put down her hood and revealed porcelain features and hair of a dull green, almost the color of leaves when the sun was high in the sky. Her eyes were the same hue, but they looked almost empty, a small smile on her face more an expression born of habit than actual feelings. The three kids didn’t know if she meant to be comforting, but that was exactly not what they sensed when glancing at her.

“Welcome to this afternoon’s services.” Her voice was soft and gentle, yet also devoid of any real emotions. She raised her arms, as if meaning to embrace the audience that held her in rapturous stares. “I am sure the Goddess is happy to have you here. May Her blessings fall upon you, oh ye that are of the Faith.”

“All hail Goddess Sothis, creator and protector of Fódlan.” The people answered in unison, Edelgard eagerly joining in. She had never been to a ritual like that, but once or twice her tutors had led them through one, so they could know what to expect when the time came for them to attend – as, they had thought, such a day would arrive sooner or later. It wouldn’t be proper if the children of the Emperor didn’t know their way around services.

There was a moment of silence, when the bishop let her eyes travel through her audience. She spotted the three little girls and tried smiling again, her gaze focused intently on Byleth for some reason that none could actually explain. After an awkward moment, she turned to the back of the cathedral and nodded, the first time she had done a more emphatic gesture as of then.

It was a cue, they realized when the pipe organ they had briefly noted before started playing something ominous and lilting at the same time. The audience turned to prestige it, eyes drawn to the second floor and the player, thus for a while they failed to notice the last person to enter the cathedral, before the doors had been closed. The same was not true of Dorothea, who gasped at the view in front of her and made the other kids follow her glance.

That was why they were completely surprised by the presence before Manuela Casagranda could actually utter the first note to that holy hymn and make the rest of the audience gawk in awe. She wore a long, loose white dress that covered her figure and was completely unlike the costume she had been in during the street performance. Her hair wasn’t hidden behind a wig this time, a vivid shade of brown that hung in waves down to her shoulders, accentuating her regal posture as she sang, her delicate face and shining grey eyes.

“It is… _her._ ” Edelgard commented, completely baffled and already taken aback by her voice. Apparently she could make whatever piece beautiful simply by singing it – even that simple hymn for praises to the Goddess felt like the most enchanting tune.

“She is fantastic.” Dorothea agreed, then started humming as well since most people had joined in the familiar music. Unfortunately she didn’t know the lyrics, but started noticing some similar words here and there and did her best to follow along, letting her voice be heard uninhibited.

Oh, how good it would be if she could indeed sing alongside the diva of the Mittelfrank! She closed her eyes and imagined that was actually the case, that she and Manuela were performing a duet and no one else existed. Her voice rose and rose with the sheer happiness of it, with how easily she could depict such a scene in her mind.

Since her eyes were closed, she was unable to see Edelgard staring at her with admiration, no longer singing so she could fully hear her friend. Or Byleth, glowering at the woman as if she had done something wrong (she still remembered how her princess had blushed after that wink). And least of all the rest of the assembly a _nd_ Manuela herself, regarding her in awe when her untrained, yet clearly melodious voice rose with the hymn she barely knew.

Dorothea could feel the weight of their eyes, however, and instead of blushing once she opened hers and caught all those glances on her, she felt more powerful, more alive. More… _there_ than she had felt in her entire life.

When the song ended it was almost as if her dream had come true, as if she and Manuela had just concluded a duet. This fantasy continued when the bishop called attention back to herself and started the proper ritual, motioning for their attending diva to take a seat on a chair that had been put beside the altar for her. She did so and prayers began, but not a word of that was heard by the young singer, who would treasure that moment forever.

It felt like the ritual had ended too soon, at least for Dorothea and Edelgard. They had enjoyed the singing, how hymns once repeated more out of respect and habit came alive under Manuela’s voice. Were elated to accompany them, as well. Byleth, however, was more than content to drag the two far afield kids away from the cathedral, and would have done so if the bishop hadn’t said in a last, warning tone:

“Oh, before we disperse, I would like to kindly ask you to please offer your thoughts and prayers to those poor guards who have been turning up injured on paths leading to our city of Enbarr. Nobody knows yet what or who is attacking them, but maybe the Goddess will hear our voices and a culprit will be found soon. Unfortunately, the harmed soldiers only mumble about powerful magic getting to them before they can find cover or realize what is about to unfold. So please, whenever you can, pray for them, and for our collective safety as well. Thank you for your attendance and go in the peace of Sothis.” She concluded, though as with everything else in that ritual she had seemed detached, not really involved with what she was saying. Which was the last thing the three kids had expected from a bishop, but oh well.

The moment she was done talking, however, Byleth put one hand on each of the other girls’ arms, made sure they had picked up their things, and bolted out of the place.

“Hey, you are gripping me too tightly!” Edelgard protested; she had half a mind to stay a little longer, maybe get to talk to Manuela and say how much she and her uncle loved her voice. She turned back when they reached the door, just in time to see a crowd already forming around the songstress.

Dorothea watched that with a sinking heart, sure her presence wouldn’t even be noted if she tried approaching her. She’d be swallowed and erased by the sight of so many nobles, people who could offer the diva money, jewelry, recognition, whatever it was that she desired. Why would Manuela even notice her, to begin with? At the best she was a young girl with a pretty voice, but there were plenty others there who came from better, nobler houses that deserved more attention anyways.

She let the small embers of hope that had built inside her during the ritual extinguish once hit by the cold, cruel reality around her. She had been foolish to think she had a chance to be seen by the woman, that all she had to do was let her voice out and forget there were other people in the cathedral too. Foolish, even, to imagine that maybe one day they would sing together after all.

That didn’t mean she was ok with almost being dragged out of that place, however. Not in a way so similar to what her father had done a while ago.

“Let go.” She ordered in a small voice, wrestling her arm free from the older thief’s too strong grip. Which was a strange gesture, she thought, but was still too downcast from what had occurred to actually say something about it. “I’m coming anyways.”

“No, Dorothea, wait. Manuela Casagranda is right in front of you! Do you not wish to talk to her at all?” Edelgard inquired, noting the sadness in her friend’s beautiful emerald eyes. She had also seen the way she had been staring at the woman – and at times, how the woman had looked at her, too.

Well, at all of them to be honest, but that was to be expected since it wasn’t usual for a trio of unsupervised children to attend services like that. They had been at odds with the place, especially once nobles and royals started filing in. Yet it was impossible to deny that Manuela _had_ indeed heard Dorothea’s voice and taken quite an interest to it.

A fact that they would have confirmed, had they stayed a moment longer or turned around to see the songstress trying to excuse herself from the crowd in order to reach the three of them.

“Why should I? She has her hands full already and probably another performance later on. Leave her be. I’m nothing to her anyways.” The girl answered in a scathing tone, trying to discreetly wipe away the tears that were gathering in her eyes. It always hurt her anew when things like that were thrown in her face.

“She isn’t good.” Byleth added, for some reason or another miffed at that entire situation. She wouldn’t lose both of them to that woman and her nice voice, didn’t know why exactly she was feeling like that but wasn’t about to question it either. It had been enough to see Edelgard blush at her wink.

“And you are one to decide this because?” The princess sneered. They had been on the move even though the older girl had let go of their arms. She had half a mind to take Dorothea’s hand and run back, though was sure she would get nowhere near the cathedral before Byleth caught up to her. Curse her lack of speed or other useful skills.

“She isn’t. I dunno why, I just feel it.” She shrugged, but felt a stab of guilt at seeing Dorothea cry, wondering if her actions had been the source of that. The girl had neither voiced her protest or tried to dig her heels like El had, for one. “Sorry if I made you sad.” She added in a small voice, was about to place a hand on her shoulder when the other thief anticipated that and flinched away.

“Not your fault. Well, a little. I did want to talk to her and you went ‘hell no’ at it.” She confessed, attempted to distract herself by letting her eyes roam around the still cloudless, deep blue sky. Enbarr was very pretty that time of the year, though the heat was keen on chastising those that, like them, had no home of their own. “But then, why bother? I’ll never be someone to her.”

It was then that Edelgard decided it would be better to never tell of the many, many stares the songstress had shot her way throughout the ritual. If she hadn’t noticed them, hearing about such a thing now that they didn’t matter that much would only hurt her further. Yet she shot a scathing look Byleth’s way and was satisfied when the older girl winced at its intensity.

“Well, that is her loss, then.” The princess offered in a kinder tone, taking one of Dorothea’s hands and squeezing it. Walking beside her and giving the older thief a wide berth, resenting her for that stupid, pointless maneuver. It would be hard to find some time to talk to her alone, but if she ever found the opportunity she would.

“Hmpf, you mean my loss.” The kid sighed, stepping closer to her. She had caught on to some tension in between the other two, but didn’t think it was worth mentioning. Honestly, what about that afternoon was worth talking about, either? She had had fun singing those hymns, even if most sounded silly and easy to master in comparison to the arias she was used to humming here and there. But other than that, well… They had wasted time in there, should have left a long while ago.

After that, they walked in an awkward silence back to their alley. For the first time Byleth wasn’t separating the two, instead was kept apart from them as they held hands and took the lead. Their other hands carried the axe and the basket; watching them like that, she felt a bit of an outsider and wondered why she had done what she had. Again, that same remorse nibbled at her chest. Had that woman really been a threat to them? Why had she felt something so strong related to her since that first time?

And it was clear that Edelgard had read her resentment of Manuela, too. For good or bad. She wanted to talk to the princess, hear what her thoughts about the whole thing were, then process them and see if she could get to a conclusion of her own, but it seemed like the other girl didn’t really want a lot to do with her.

The two younger kids made some small talk from time to time, remarking on how nobles wore really ugly, funny hats or their overall clothing, demeanor and voice – there was a particularly loud one who made them giggle with the way he spoke to his partner, using big words for every single thing.

Byleth felt a pang of sadness at being left out and pouted, unsure of how to approach them – especially El, who didn’t even spare her a curious glance the way Dorothea did from time to time. They had walked a lot, they realized once a very long time had passed and they were nowhere near getting “home”. Would they stay separated and cold like that for the entire while?

Suddenly it was too much. She didn’t want to be shunned like that anymore, not from them and least of all from _her._ Thus she walked a bit faster in order to get to Edelgard’s side, gently pried her fingers away from the axe and held her now free hand, internally wincing at the sound of protest that her gesture elicited.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, even if she had no clue what to apologize for. “She just don’t seem good.”

“It is more than that, is it not?” The princess replied, though her voice had lost its previous edge and even her lilac eyes were unjudging, yet pondering. “But you do not know how to call what you are feeling.”

That was an affirmation, not a question, but Byleth nodded nonetheless. “Wish I could say what it is.”

“Do not apologize for that which you do not know. However, it would be wise for you to not make decisions for us like that. Especially when they involve us and not just you.” Edelgard whispered, unsure if she even could stay mad at the girl. She was so simple, so blunt with her demeanor and answers, she almost felt bad about the entire situation.

“Will do that.” Byleth vowed, placing a closed fist over her heart. “Promise.”

“I shall hold you to that – and let you know when you are being –“

“Insowfferable.” The other two completed, which made the three of them giggle and for a few seconds dissolved the tension in between them.

Perhaps they would have gone on like that for the rest of the day, trying to make amends here and there as Byleth sifted through her thoughts. That was… if the moment they stepped foot into their street, they weren’t met with an unfamiliar sight.

For once, there were many more people in there than usual, talking excitedly, smiles etched in their faces for what seemed like no reason at all. The girls then saw several horses, beautiful creatures, their furs shining under the sunlight. And finally they realized those nobles weren’t wearing the flashy clothes they usually sported when going out for a simple walk. No, they were even fancier than ever, merrier than ever. More noble-esque and… insufferable than ever.

“What’s going on here?” Dorothea inquired, wrinkling her nose at the whole scenario. She had envisioned getting back to their alley and calling it a day, maybe enjoying some peace and quiet. Those people had just thrown her plan out of the window, apparently.

“It looks like… a gathering of sorts. And if I am not mistaken, it comes from that particular house. Or should I say, mansion.” The princess replied, pointing to a big, silver building that indeed seemed to be where everyone was heading to – or hanging around in any case. More animals were also tied to lampposts around it, or being maneuvered by servants in fancy, mostly black clothing.

“A party?” Byleth inquired, her eyes drawn to those people and their nice dresses. The jewelry they were wore somewhat similar to what she had successfully smuggled from the cathedral a few hours ago. Those were still in her pockets, tucked away safely and jiggling due to motion from time to time. She couldn’t wait to look at them, though was wondering if she would ever be able to profit from that. Who would buy jewels from a child?

“It is rather fancy, is it not? I doubt this is a political meeting or something referring to Imperial matters. I cannot remember a time when my father’s guests were so well-dressed like that.” Edelgard mused, and at once the answer became clear, when she saw a few excited girls dancing in front of the house, as everyone was apparently waiting to be allowed in. “Oh… this might be a ball, actually!”

“Ugh, of course. Just another way for nobility to celebrate being rich and having nothing to do with their freaking time.” Dorothea groaned. She hadn’t really been to those when she was living with her father, but she had seen their parents return home very late, usually drunk and fighting about… well, mostly about her and the fact she had yet to show a crest.

Those things were in the past now, she mused, where they deserved to be after all.

“We should go.” Byleth said while watching the crowd. There was something about how carefree they were that spoke to the older thief. That and all those sparkly jewels as well – and who knew what else she might find inside the house itself?

“Absolutely not.” Dorothea flared, already dreading it. “What do you want in a place like that to begin with?”

“Steal nice stuff.” She shrugged, the answer as easy as saying the sun was still up. “Eat nice food.”

“You go, then, I wouldn’t step inside that place for all the food and riches in the world.” She stomped her foot to make a point, but none of the other two were the slightest bit surprised at her actions and words.

“I… I will accompany you.” Edelgard sheepishly answered. The decision was simple for her, her motivations very distant from the two things the older girl had outlined. It was mostly a wish to be amongst those she had been close to in her previous life. To get a taste of that existence yet again, even though she was growing to despise nobles more and more at each passing day. Almost as if she had never been one herself. “The one thing is that we shall need better clothing, some accessories and a way in.”

Byleth turned to her with an excited smile plastered on her face, then shrugged as if it were nothing and deeply bowed. “Sure thing, little princess.”

Her eyes were glinting with excitement when she rose from the curtsey and started planning on just how they would make an entrance into a party that completely didn’t need them, but she would be more than happy to raid it with her charge in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note that the title was inspired by a saying that goes "as above, so below" and is present in stuff like Tarot and some religions as well. 
> 
> And beside that... El finally got her axe! And Byleth's distrust of Manuela got the best of her, oof. Poor Dorothea though, but at least she got to sing with her for a while, right?
> 
> Thank you for reading and stay safe, everyone!


	10. A Starry Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard, Byleth and Dorothea have silly discussions while getting ready for the ball, with Dorothea still not joining, even if the princess tries talking her into going. Once close to the mansion, the two make promises under the beautiful sky, dance to a listless song and do some theft, all according to plan.  
> It's when they spot someone else, someone that doesn't really belong there, that they're forced to retreat sooner than they thought they would have to.

Twilight was approaching and the nobles were about to get into the mansion, when Byleth came back from an extra heist with their bigger basket full to the brim, some dark purple fabric actually peeking from the opening. She hadn’t been gone for long, either, perhaps half an hour at the most, which was outstanding even though they knew there were several clothing stores around their street.

Still, it never failed to surprise Edelgard how fast and precise she was when executing thefts, but then, that was what she had been trained to do from an early age. Wondered, not for the first time, how brilliant a student she would have been in other subjects such as history and politics. Maybe not language, which was another matter altogether. It would be unfair if she were gifted in every single thing anyways – and there was also the fact she was more than competent with weapons and fighting, too.

“How do you do that?” The princess inquired, shifting a bit to make room for the newcomer, who was panting the slightest and looked like she could use some time to sit down and decompress.

“Tried showing you already, but you’re always ‘it’s not right to rob’ and all that.” The older thief said, mimicking her voice for a second and making Dorothea giggle at it. “Ain’t hard, too.”

“Hmpf, I see that you are feeling better already.” She commented, a bit spiteful at that. She hadn’t forgotten her wish to talk to Byleth and realized the ball might be the best opportunity to do so. They had to set some things straight, at the very least.

How funny it’d be if Manuela happened to be there as well. That would help Edelgard make her point even clearer, that the older girl had something against the songstress, for whatever reason.

Byleth simply shrugged, unsure what she meant or how she should be feeling instead. Drowning on guilt, especially one that she couldn’t tell where it stemmed from, would do nothing for her. Rather, it would make her waste precious time and energy, which could be put to use on something better. Like planning on how to get to that house and have the time of her life.

“Anyways, so you’re really going.” Dorothea muttered a bit further away from them, leaning against the wall beside her mom and holding her hand. During the time that she and Edelgard had been left alone, the princess simply apologized to her and they fell into silence, unsure about what to talk about. It had been a weird day so far, to say the least.

Also, she had been growing more and more anxious at her mother as days passed and her state was… unstable was a way of saying it, maybe. However, now there were more and more times when the woman was unable to be roused, to eat and move by herself, needing assistance from all of them. The wounds in her back, now more than one, growing dark, deep and gruesome. That, and the fact that they were running out of herbs and had to resort to stealing some as well, was worrisome enough without adding in the fact that Cerys had been coughing more, yet in a weaker state. As if her muscles were giving up on that, as well as on moving altogether.

So Dorothea, no, all of them, had been watching that in silence, trying their best to avoid the alley altogether during the day after applying some sort of oil to her wounds. The latter, as always, was courtesy of Edelgard and none else, even if the others had been trying to aid her more as of recent, holding the woman still when she applied it and so on.

The three winced when said grownup coughed, in a way that seemed like a half-hearted attempt at the actual thing. They spared her pale face a short glance, then looked back to El as if pleading for her to say something. To distract them from that and the thoughts it elicited too.

“I suppose so. And you, have you had a change of heart?” The princess softly queried, more because it would be odd to be away from the girl after so many days spent in her company day and night. Yes, they were really becoming inseparable, almost the way she had been with her older and younger siblings. She thought it unlikely that the little singer would relent, what with the way she hated nobles and for a very good reason too, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

“Oh no, haha, count me out. You’re on your own for that one.” She replied after scoffing, as if that were the worst joke she had ever heard. “But please, do your worse. And see if you can bring me back something nice” That was aimed at Byleth, who nodded and grinned.

“Gotta get changed now.” The older kid said as she picked up the full basket and, to Edelgard’s horror, simply upturned it onto the floor.

She fought hard to keep in a remark about how all that amazing clothing – and there was many, enough for them to do their own sales later on - was getting dirty. Tried to focus more on the assortment of colors and styles haphazardly displayed in front of her. There were some dresses in gold, cream, pearly white, crimson, silver, purple, emerald, pink, blue, black… Not to mention pants and shirts, in the same colors and different designs

“Excuse me, did you simply get every single child size model in the store?” Edelgard inquired, both curious and slightly miffed. If any other thief but Byleth had done that, she would have questioned their methods.

“Hm, I dunno what you like more. Or how I should dress too.” The older girl admitted, sheepishly so. She had never worn anything other than some armor and the clothes her father picked for her. Occasionally, Aradia had given her some long mage capes and a few gowns. Whereas she had never declined the former, she just didn’t feel completely well in the latter. It was harder to fight in them and she had a tendency to destroy dresses and skirts in less than two seconds when one was foolish enough to put one on her.

“Well, I am probably going for this one.” The princess said, smiling as she chose the crimson dress. Then thought again at how much that looked like her old palace clothes and decided against it, her heart panging with the recollection. “No… perhaps this would suit me better.” Her hands closed on the sapphire one; she had never been allowed to wear too dark colors, as according to her tutors those were more suited for grownups and not kids. Was excited to see so many nice tones that had never been on her wooden chest.

“Not the purple one, to match your eyes and make everyone in the ball notice them, then fall in love with you?” Dorothea mocked, smirked in victory when the other girl’s face lit up in a blush.

“Ugh, why would I ever want that?” She knew it was ok to want it, had watched one of her older brothers falling in love and courting a general, who in turn was more than happy to return his affections. The two men had been quite striking, dancing together on the latest ball. And at the same time, she had seen her dearest Marina reject every proposal she got, no matter who it came from, until their father started begging people to not pester her anymore.

Love felt like something far, far away from her. She had a lot of growing to do still, a lot of learning too. It wasn’t her time yet, as her older sisters tended to say whenever she asked them about the matter, laughing at her curious face. Silly, girlish crushes didn’t count on their books – not that the little princess knew what the meant, either.

Unless of course it had something to do with the way her heart beat a little faster whenever she…

“Well, wouldn’t it be nice to be loved by someone?” Dorothea asked, but this time her voice was forlorn instead of light and mocking.

“We love you, Dorothea.” Byleth simply said, noticing how tense their friend had become. Noted how Edelgard was quick to emphatically nod, and both had to stop themselves from giggling when it was her turn to blush.

“Blah, not like _that._ ” She protested, though couldn’t deny it had felt good to hear that from them. “Like… a real romance you know? With gifts, sharing food, holding hands…”

“We do that. Are we… a romance?” Byleth queried, her face so open and innocent, it was hard for the other two girls to not laugh at her. A lot. Until there were tears in their eyes.

Even more so when she pouted as a protest.

“I am so utterly sorry.” The princess said, though she wasn’t all that sorry after all. “Hm, no, we are not romancing. That would involve us kissing and being more… physically or emotionally intimate, to begin with. I actually think Dorothea knows more about such matters, you should ask her.” She hedged, taking a better grip on her gown and rising to her feet. “In any case, if you excuse me…”

“Love is something different, yeah. It’s what she said, but some adults don’t kiss and are in a relationship, too.” Dorothea explained while they watched as the other girl went behind a nook in the alley to get changed. “Wasn’t there anything like it in your group?”

Byleth had to think for a bit, tilting her head to the side and trying to remember. It felt like forever since she had been with the Blade Breakers, wondered where they were at that moment and if they had eventually given up on her. The thought that it could be the case not fazing her at the slightest. “Yeah. We had some couples, I think. It was cute.”

“That’s what we were talking about, then. Stuff like that.”

The older thief frowned, finally understanding the implications of what the other girl had said before. “Eldegard doesn’t need a pretty dress to make others love her.”

“Hey! I heard that. And hm… thank you?” The princess yelled from where she was changing, voice half-muffled by fabric.

“Ohhhh are you interested already?” Dorothea taunted, snickering when she saw the older thief actually consider that. It wouldn’t take her by surprise if that were the case – the two were indeed close, had been since the beginning. The only thing is that, as always, it would leave her as the outsider, again. But then, she grimly thought, her face falling at it, what else was new.

“I like her. As much as I like you, too.” She answered with a shrug, briefly wondered if she had said something she shouldn’t since that was met with a wilder blush than before.

“Would you kindly stop… courting and let me know if this is appropriate?”

They did turn to look and smiled sweetly at the sight of her in the sapphire gown. It flowed all the way to her feet, slightly marking her waist, the skirt widening at her hips. Small crescent moons adorned the torso, whereas the long sleeves ran free, completely obscuring her hands.

Dorothea whistled, which made the princess scowl at her. Byleth, on the other hand, kept smiling and nodded, then said something that sounded like “amazing” in an awe voice. She then turned to the pile and started picking up shirts and pants at random, not matching them at all, while the other girl got to her feet and smoothed her dress.

“You’ll be everyone’s sweetheart, for sure.” She said, causing Edelgard to turn crimson again. “Lemme help you with your hair, it’d be bad if you just left it in pigtails as always. Sit down and be quiet.”

The princess did as she was told, even as her eyes focused on the older thief and she wanted to go help her pick up something suitable, before the girl could make a mess of it. She had learned the ropes of not complaining when someone was doing her hair – especially since some people loved pulling and tugging even more than necessary when one did. Not that the servants had ever dared hurting her, but when it came to siblings, that was another story altogether.

“Should we give her a hand later? She does look lost.” Edelgard queried, wincing when she tried pairing orange pants with a crimson shirt. Her hair was freed from their ribbons and combed by the other girl’s fingers, her motion way gentler than she had thought.

“Oh c’mon, this is fun to watch. Let her take her pick, if it’s too hideous we’ll step in.” She conspired, grinning. Had to stop herself from laughing when Byleth seemed to brood over green shirt and red pants combination. “Goddess above, she’s clueless.”

“I can hear ya, you know.” Byleth answered, pouting yet again. The sight made them burst out laughing since it was too adorable in some way. “Help?”

“Just a sec, I’ll be there after I’m done with her hair. You guys better bring me back something cool, I’m having loads of work to make you two look presentable.” Dorothea lightly scolded, letting the princess’s strands run free. Delighting herself in how smooth her hair was, how soft too.

She had half a mind to tell her to simply let it loose, but ended up making a small tress after pulling some hair front to back, then placed one ribbon over it, another in the end of the tiny plait to hold it in place. The rest of her strands underneath it remained free, falling over her shoulders and the dress, making a nice contrast with the sapphire. It wasn’t the most intricate style ever, but it was what she could do anyways.

“There, now don’t mess it up cause I won’t do it again.” She warned, stepping in front of Edelgard to take a better look and beaming to herself in pride. She did look pretty – and regal, too, what with her nice posture and everything, small touches that hadn’t eroded over time.

“Thank you a lot, Dorothea. Now please, aid her. I shall not go in with a comically-dressed companion.” The princess answered, though her voice was light and thankful instead of miffed.

“Fine, fine. Don’t be too snobbish or too hard on us mere commoners, though, Your Highness.” Although the entire thing was said in jest, there was still an edge to it as well. So it hadn’t been completely a mockery to begin with. She then turned to the pile of clothes on the floor, took a pair of deep burgundy pants and shirt, passed them to Byleth and said: “Yeah, try these. They’ll look nice with your hair.”

The thief nodded after glancing at it in an accessing way. It wasn’t bad at all, she realized, the color very comforting and nice to her even though it wasn’t something she had ever worn before. She got up gingerly, finding it strange when there was an extra weight on her clothes, until she remembered there had been a certain… pillaging she had yet to take out of her pockets.

“Is everything ok?” The princess queried, watching as she gingerly walked around, the new pieces in the crook of her arms.

“All good, why?” Byleth answered, her small grin almost betraying the giddy feeling she was experiencing. Even when she started…

“Are you… jiggling?” Dorothea asked, eyes wide in surprise. Then rebuked herself for it when the older thief glared at her and she remembered the coins they had gotten before. Wondered how they hadn’t heard that yet, especially since she was also guilty of it.

“Empty your pockets. Now.” Edelgard demanded, her tone befitting of her rank, a first for her. Although she was indeed a princess, it wasn’t often she ordered them around, even more so once she realized there were things the other two exceeded her at.

Both her and Dorothea thought she would be obeyed, since Byleth looked sheepish and downcast at being called like that. They were shocked when, instead of that, the older thief stuck out her tongue at them, mostly at El, and rushed behind the alley to get changed.

“What in the name of… Come back here, you little- “ The princess began, bolting to her feet and was about to go after her when a giggling Dorothea caught the end of her sleeve and stopped her.

“Leave it, little girl. Once a thief, always a thief. No use for you to be like that.” She chastised. They had been over that a thousand times already – that was not the time for her to do the same again.

“Hmpf.” She simply said, gently freeing herself from her grasp and crossing her arms. Of course there was no use in her saying anything, but that didn’t mean she had started agreeing to theft all of a sudden. Even if it had been sustaining her, keeping her alive for the last few weeks.

She was about to comment something, ask where she had gotten those things, when Byleth came back on her new clothes… her arms full of golden jewels and coins, a smirk on her lips. Her indigo eyes shining with a mixture of apologies and happiness for what she had gotten. And even Edelgard had to admit that it was really something else. That, or maybe the sight of her dressed like a noble was a bit distracting, to say the least.

“This is hm… It looks very flattering.” The princess said, struggling with her words for a few seconds and trying her best to not blush again. Her heart leaping inside her chest for some reason, something she couldn’t completely understand or rationalize.

“Thanks, El.” The older kid said as she approached the two and sat down beside them, offering the objects in her hands for them to look at. “For you.”

They were taken aback by the jewelry, whereas Dorothea was keen on joining those coins with the ones in their purses, taking some away from her own pockets as well. An act that wasn’t lost on Edelgard at all, who sneered at it and shook her head, but didn’t say anything more.

Instead, her eyes went back to the necklaces on display, watching the way gold glittered under the indirect sunlight and the beautiful gems which hung from them. One an emerald, the other an amethyst, both incredible and mesmerizing, different from everything she had ever seen in her life in the castle.

“Choose.” Byleth urged them on, since both were too busy looking at them instead of doing something. Tilted her head to the side and watched their taken aback stares and gaping mouths.

“Hm… let me put this on you, Edie. It was made for you after all and goes well with your dress.” Dorothea said as she picked up the one with the emerald star and stuck in her pockets, then took the one with the sapphire moon and motioned for the other girl to turn around. In a practiced motion, she closed it around her neck and nodded approvingly. “Now you’re ready.”

“Pretty.” Byleth commented, looking at her with a soft light in her eyes. Jumped to her feet without early notice and offered her a hand. “You gotta climb the wall on this, though.”

“Climb the… what? Whatever do you mean?” The princess inquired, flustered by all that praise, the weight of the necklace against her skin something comforting rather than ominous. She knew it had been stolen, but still, it felt like the other girl had gifted it to her.

“Well, we need to get in and can’t be through the door. They probably have someone watching or something.” The older thief shrugged, then led her away from the alley by the hand. It was impossible not to be aware of the interesting way the girl was looking at her, almost in awe.

“S-sure, you are right about that. I should have thought about it, but it has to work out one way or another.” She stammered, wanting to glare at a snickering Dorothea behind them.

“Have fun, you two! I’ll have some stuff to eat and watch over my mom here. Don’t do anything too crazy out there.” The little songstress said, laughed even harder when the princess finally did turn around and shot her a scathing glance.

The two walked side by side, looked up at the sky to notice how the sun had indeed traveled a lot through the sky and was about to set, even though they knew it was late. The mansion had finally opened its doors and most people were in there, except for a few servants in full black who stood guard in front of its entrance, pretending to watch over the horses and the streets as a whole. The thing was, their eyes were almost glazed over, one second away from closing and for them to fall asleep.

Byleth almost considered taking her princess in through the doors, since those adults were indeed pretty much out of it. However, she would rather not draw attention to themselves, even though their flashy clothes kind of were already, and in the end sneaked both of them down the street. They walked across the road which stood behind the mansion, then realized there was nothing but a tall wall to be climbed once they finally reached the place.

“Looks just like the one in the castle right? You can do it.” Byleth softly coaxed, her feet already on the rocky wall in front of them. “But if you need any help…”

“I think it will be ok, honestly.” Edelgard assured her, glad for her closeness and how careful she seemed to be with her. She tentatively placed her own foot on that wall and found a good way to propel herself up. It was easier than when she used to climb trees with her siblings, hiding from a tutor or two.

The first push was the hardest, she realized when after that she was able to go almost as fast as Byleth herself, standing a few paces behind her so she could ascertain where the older thief was going for footholds and following suit. It was better to do that than try her own path and fail, derailing her friend and making things worse for them.

They went up in silence, until the older girl reached the top of the wall and took a seat on it, then glanced down and stuck her tongue out at Edelgard as a taunt. Instead of making the girl angry, though, she had to giggle at that, even more so when the gesture was accompanied by her indigo eyes crossing for an extra comical effect.

“You will make me fall.” The princess softly commented as she laughed, trying her best to keep herself quiet. They were behind the mansion, that was right, climbing to land on their backyard, but who knew if there weren’t people looking or listening in. It was dangerous for the older girl to be there as well, but knew better than to question her methods. She was the top thief for a reason anyways, would know if there was trouble to begin with.

“C’mon, Eldegard, we don’t have all night. I’m hungry.” She said in a whisper, her voice almost getting swallowed by echoes of music which reached them back there. It was a very lilting, happy melody that added to her overall, somewhat antsy mood. She couldn’t wait to parade inside, with the other girl in her arm, and show her off here and there even though she knew few adults would pay attention to them.

Which was for the best, really. She would rather they weren’t noted, even more so if there were so many nobles in there. What if someone recognized the princess for who she was, even if she were outside of the palace? Everyone knew she was missing, to begin with. Had it been wrong for her to let the girl come along too?

It was too late to wonder about that, Byleth thought to herself, shaking her head once Edelgard finally joined her. She had wanted to come, too, and the thief had a good idea why. It would be bad for her to deny the girl that pleasure, since she had been the one to take her out of the palace to begin with. No, if something went wrong she would just do her job and protect her. Simple, no qualms or issues about that.

“Is everything all right?” The princess queried, tilting her head in a way that was so Byleth, the thief ended up beaming at that. They were probably rubbing off on each other, or something.

“Yeah, it’s good. Just stay close to me, ok?” Byleth said, fondling her hands before looking down and realizing it would be better for them to climb a bit before jumping off. Thus she did, turning around to put her feet down again after accessing her charge and making sure she was ok.

“We have to talk sometime soon. I would really like to know what you were feeling in regards to Manuela. It is the second time you have reacted badly to her.” Edelgard commented, making good on the promise she had done to herself about that particular issue. She wanted more than anything to understand her friend, the one who was keeping her safe for all this time. But more than that… she also wished to give Dorothea an explanation, even if the girl had closed off about that entire issue after Byleth was gone.

“Hm…” The older thief simply mumbled, nodding her head and trying to focus on the path down. She had somehow known this was coming, that she wasn’t about to get away with it too soon. She didn’t exactly understand it herself, or have any idea of how to put it into words, though. “OK, but it’s maybe not be what you wanna hear. I dunno what to say.”

“It is ok, really. Just… be honest as you always are and speak your mind. I shall not judge you.” She replied in the softest tone she could muster, also trying to keep her mind on the climb. Though the walls weren’t too tall, she didn’t want to fall like that.

They continued it in silence, occasionally turning away to look at their surroundings and make sure no one had spotted them – which wasn’t the case at all – and exhaled in relief once their feet touched solid ground again. Byleth dusted off her fancy clothes, though she had deemed them a bit stiff in comparison to the ones she was used to wearing, and did the same to Edelgard’s dress, causing the girl’s cheek to color the slightest.

“So… speak away. I am your friend. You can count on me.” The princess mumbled, beaming softly. 

“Thanks.” The older thief answered, holding her hand again and making sense of where they were before she could actually go on.

It was a backyard of sorts, only without any trees or garden to tell the tale. Every plant around them was dead, in some state of decay or about to get to it. Luckily it didn’t smell, or else both kids knew they would be wrinkling their noses by then. There were no lamps as well, which was good so they couldn’t really see how darkened and dry the plants were. Perhaps it had been once a beautiful yard, with handsome flowers and shrubs dancing in the winds or the nice spring breeze. Now, none of that vibrancy remained and they were stiff. The sight reminding Byleth of the many people she had managed to kill while working with the Blade Breakers. How her father had almost met the same fate more than once. How, maybe, the little girl beside her also had too.

Yeah, she needed to have good communication with her in order to keep her safe and sound, right? As her eyes finally found a door that would more than likely lead them closer to the party, she silently nodded towards it and ushered her forward, then started speaking once her fingers encased the doorknob:

“I… Feel like she’s danger. To me, to you. As if you would get to her side and leave me.” She didn’t register the small pout that came over her features as she uttered those, trying as she might to put such convoluted emotion, some of which she had no knowledge about, into words, another matter which she had never dominated. Before meeting Edelgard, she had rarely spoken, and only when it was of utmost importance.

Words were not her abode, just as feelings weren’t either. But she was more than willing to get into both if that meant she would be better able to get her message across, to the princess in a sapphire dress who stared at her with wide, pensive lilac eyes.

“Why would I ever do that? Yes, she is pretty and sings very well, but that means nothing to me, Byleth. She was not the one to protect me when I was in peril, you were.” Edelgard whispered back, turned to look at the dead plants barely visible under the now visible moonlight, and at the soft earth underneath. Wondered why that was allowed in a noble house, why the garden wasn’t being tended to.

Then thought again about how that seemed to be the way nobility operated. A stellar front, to awe newcomers and passersby. Their actual nature hidden behind, where few, if anyone, was actually allowed in.

“It is you I would call on if I ever needed help.” She added in a whisper, more to the moon above than to the girl beside her. Not out of shame, or any such feeling, but due to how solemn that felt, how her chest clenched in response to the righteousness. As if she had spoken something like that before.

“Promise you will. Even if we’re not together. I’ll listen, I know. I’ll go to you.” Byleth said in the same tone, her eyes also cast to the sky above. She watched in awe at how some stars dared to glitter every here and there, although the moon still shone the clearest.

Edelgard finally turned around to look at her companion and waited until she did the same. Offered a hand, palm forward, and was surprised when instead of taking it or lacing their fingers, the older thief simply touched every single one of them with her own. Pinky to pinky, index to index and so on, their hands both small, Byleth’s being a tad bigger and more callous due to years of training with weapons. Their eyes, lilac on indigo, speaking by themselves even if no word was uttered.

It was in that state that the princess understood the protectiveness Byleth felt towards her. The… was attachment the right term for it? When they met, she had thought the older kid was unable to be like that. To experience emotions that deep. To… have that much inside of her, yet not express it the way others did. She saw then how wrong she had been. And that the reason of her bristling whenever Manuela was near, nothing more than pure jealousy.

“I promise.” She muttered at last, a small smile tugging on her lips. “Please, talk to me when you need, ok? I will always be here for you. Now… let us go inside, I cannot wait to see what we – I mean, you – will be able to steal.”

It turned out that any thief would have a field trip in that mansion, truth be told. As they had expected, that door did indeed lead to inside the mansion – to the kitchen, no less. They were lucky, however, that at that point in time most servants were away even though the ovens were on and delicious smells floated around them, delivering food or taking back empty trays, or else they would have easily been spotted right there.

They picked some finger food on their way to the living room, a few sandwiches too small for them to be sated, no matter if they got around ten of them each and hid another five in their pockets. The sound of soft, ululating music guided their steps through corridors that had no business being that long, the floor covered by a velvety rug that matched Byleth’s clothing, with etchings and details in gold. Paintings hung from the walls on both sides, almost too close to the candle holders that were alive with small flames, obscuring the white, dull wall behind.

Soon the music wasn’t the only thing they could hear, but also voices, steps taken in a cadenced fashion and soft, lilting laugher. That noise was more familiar to Edelgard than Byleth, who simply tilted her head at that and wondered what she would find when they finally emerged into the living room.

Her senses were flooded in that moment, even though everything was subdued. A far cry from the parties she had both attended and watched taking part in between the Blade Breakers, in what seemed to be an eternity ago. During those, there would be raucous laughing, wild dancing, kissing and yells, bantering and flattering alike being thrown to the wind.

Yet in there… everything was unnatural, in a manner that she couldn’t really explain. There were candelabras and candle holders everywhere, in several colors as well, resulting in green, blue and purple dancing lights being casted everywhere. The floor was covered by enormous hugs in different hues and imagery, more often at odds with one another than actually creating a harmonious scenery. The creamy walls were flooded with even more paintings and tapestries, with shelves in dark wood crammed full of books and some glass cabinets here and there guarding trinkets of all shapes, materials and sizes.

Chairs and long tables had been shoved to the outskirts of the room, allowing people more space to dance while also being filled with food plates, crystal goblets and bottles filled by richly colored liquids, some of which reflected candlelight. And although that was the case, servants in black from head to toe still carefully made their way through clusters of people dressed with what they thought were their best clothes (most of the time ending in comic combinations and the sorts), who were talking, snickering or simply glancing around themselves.

The small orchestra, consisting of violins, a long, gilded flute and someone sitting on what had to be the house’s piano, stood to the side, under a marvelous-looking, circular staircase in ivory. They played with a listlessness to their motions that rivalled that which was etched in the invitees’ faces. As if those people were there, but not really there to begin with, their mouths speaking words that were shallow, devoid of meaning, while their minds were busy in a world of their own, or their eyes feasting with gloat and something more… primal, when it saw their hosts’ pretty arrangements.

Byleth was speechless at that, her brain trying to process everything, plus the fact that their arrival had gone on completely unnoticed even though there were no children their age in there. The youngest members being around their teens, dancing as politely as everyone else was. At the end, she concluded, it was a wonder the house wasn’t been pillaged at that moment, as their apathy, or lack of attention to their surroundings, would be the best thing ever for a thief.

Which was exactly why it had been a good idea to go there, she decided, grinning a bit and letting herself be led by Edelgard to the tables on the back. Food first, fun later, she silently agreed, watched in awe how easily the girl made her way through those people. Almost as if she knew that was how balls were supposed to be like.

“Are nobles always that strange?” Byleth inquired when they finally had another small sandwich in hands. She couldn’t understand why that thing was that little – no one would be able to get some nourishment with something like that. It was so bad, she couldn’t even taste what was supposedly in between the loaves of bread.

“Strange? What do you mean?” Edelgard asked as she politely nibbled the entrée, wishing she had advised the older girl about how to behave in such a setting. She winced when her companion simply threw the sandwich in her mouth and was already on her way to get another. “Hey, slow down. Not only will you call attention to us like that, but you will not be able to savor the actual food. That is just an appetizer.”

“An apple- what?” She spoke while chewing, completely oblivious to what was said until she saw some girls looking at her and laughing behind their hands. Oops, yes, she had to play by their rules for that night, it seemed. “And hm… seems like everyone’s out of it? Just kinda… dead.”

At first the princess wanted to argue against that, a blush slowly threatening to climb up her cheeks, but then she took a look around and tried analyzing those people as the outsider that she now was. And yes, it wasn’t hard to understand what Byleth was talking about, even though she had never noticed that following all their rules, all their decorum and everything else in between did make them seem… less alive, somewhat duller.

“You have a point.” She conceded, yet again surprised by how stupid all that could be. Her days in the street, accompanied by two thieves that had helped her see a little of the world around her, were slowly making her realize that proper words, proper gestures and choreographed human interactions were… well, more a huge waste of time than anything else.

Even though those nobles were conversing with each other, they weren’t really into whatever the topic was to begin with. Their motions more something out of courtesy and the expected behavior of being part of the nobility than genuine. Her lilac irises scanned through the crowd and she couldn’t see one person who was different from that, who seemed to be eager to be there, to dance and celebrate. It made her sad to see it was the case, that once she had been a part of that. Had been learning to be more and more like those people expected a proper Imperial princess to be.

“Recognize anyone?” Byleth’s voice woke her up from that stupor, a welcome respite to her broodiness.

She shrugged and ate the rest of her sandwich, to the older child’s delight, then took her hand again and paced away from the table – at least for the time being. She was hungry and didn’t think she would be able to wait until later, when whatever had been cooking at the kitchen when they went in would be served. Something roasted, maybe. Her mouth watering with the realization that those were smells she knew, had grown up with, even, and it had been a while since they had surrounded her like that.

“A few, yes.” She nodded, after taking another cursory look around the attendees. “That one there has been to the palace a few times, to discuss some military issues with my father.” She motioned with her head, to a woman in an emerald dress. “And that other lady talking to her is a Minister, but I cannot recall which one.”

“You should hide.” The thief says, mentally cursing herself for not bringing any weapon bigger than her usual dagger. “Can’t let ‘em see you.”

“I am just one of the Imperial children, Byleth, they most likely only know Marina.” The princess dismissed her worries with a flourish, didn’t think it would be necessary. Other than those two there were some people here and there that she had seen before, but it was just like the other girl had said: they weren’t really paying that much attention for them to be concerned. “In any case, are you going to take a look around, see what is interesting to be taken back?”

The indigo-haired girl nodded, eyes already running through every nook and cranny in that living room and wondering what she would find in other places, maybe even upstairs. No one had ventured there, she noted, as all the guests were either spinning around to the music or speaking in clusters here and there. Would they even see her go to the glass cupboard, slide it open and take as many valuable-looking things as she could?

“Is there anything in particular that has caught your attention?” Edelgard prodded, a bit antsy at the thought of hanging so close to the door and taking stock of everything. Those nobles were kind of numb, or something, but surely they weren’t dumb and soon enough would notice something was off with the two kids, or that their intentions weren’t as good.

“Need to take a better look around.” She answered in a far afield tone, her eyes darting everywhere at once. “Some stuff over those little tables, close to the stairs…” She mused, trying to take a better look at some glittering things in the distance. Were they jewels?

“Halt, you cannot simply make your way there like that, what with all those people dancing and so close to where you want to go.” Edelgard chastised in a hiss, trying to remember the dozen rules she had been trained to follow as royalty, but had been thinking less and less of as time went by. Yes, it would be rude for them to move around so much and talk to no one other than each other. Unless…

She sighed in exasperation as a clear solution came to her mind. She took Byleth’s hand in her and followed that with small, tentative steps to the dance floor, murmuring something that sounded a lot like “insufferable”.

“Eldegard? What are we- “ The older thief began, at a lost due to that sudden movement. Hadn’t the girl just stopped her from going there? So why were they just…

“Dance with me. Or at least, pretend to. I shall teach you one thing or two about it, but you have to let me lead.” She said as she placed her free hand on Byleth’s shoulder and turned to face her. Her foot went forward and she rolled her eyes when her partner failed to understand what she wanted and respond accordingly, her indigo irises somewhat clouded and hazy. “You will have to move too, I am afraid.”

“Sorry. Never done this before.” The older girl confessed, though she knew that wasn’t that much of a surprise anyways. The next time the princess took a step forward, she let herself be taken back and did react to that, happy to see her companion gift her a smile at it. “Why we doing this?”

“First, because I have missed dancing with my siblings.” The princess admitted, growing merrier when they were able to go sideways and back with Byleth matching her moves. “Second, because then I can lead you to where you wish to go and you can have a good look at whatever it is.”

It was the thief’s time to beam at that simple, yet effective plan. “You’re a genius!” She exclaimed, was awed by how nice it felt to dance. It wasn’t so different to anticipating her opponents’ movements and reacting accordingly, she thought. Only this time they weren’t enemies, but friends whose moves had to match and be pretty, not lethal and strong.

Even if she weren’t used to things such as those, it wasn’t a bad change of pace from what mostly took her attention, though. She made a mental note about asking Edelgard to teach both her and Dorothea how to dance, when they were back in the alley, and simply enjoyed herself, the way she was corrected with fierce words when she made silly mistakes. Wanted to go get the smaller kid the biggest pastry she could find as an apology when she ended up stepping over her foot instead of on the floor.

Eventually they neared the place Byleth had been gawking at before, the fact that two children were dancing kind of well nothing more than a passing comment to the nobles that watched. Some people did smile at them when they neared, but just as everything else, it felt fake, shallow. Unsure.

And when they did get to the point where the older thief could easily grab whatever she wanted from those smaller tables, both girls looked down and saw an assortment of objects, really. Everything from elaborate purses to fancy-looking coats, lined with fur and pearls, hats, necklaces, bracelets, rings, books and even small daggers (they had overheard some nobles complaining about the lack of guards in Enbarr again, how they had been forced to carry some form of weapon in order to keep themselves safe). It was as if the invitees had selected that place to dump what they would fetch later, which made it a very good spot for a robber such as her to get as close to as she could.

“Those are rather big things for you to steal.” Edelgard commented in a rather sad note, somewhat found herself wishing the girl could find something nice to grab. Which was so unlike her, the feeling completely surprised them both.

“Not impossible though. Shame it’d be weird to bring the basket, but it’ll be fine. Maybe there’re more up there too.” She motioned to the upper floor and giggled when the other girl’s eyes widen in surprise.

“That would be too dangerous, Byleth. That surely would draw attention to us, since no one is climbing the stairs and we would have to return here, with your clothes jiggling again. No, I forbid you to do so. Find what you want here.” She forcefully denied, then internally winced as the other girl pouted, wondering if she hadn’t been too emphatic. “Nothing good comes out of being greedy.”

The thief nodded, at odds with that opinion, yet in the end decided that perhaps she was right to think like that anyways. Although they had yet to draw unwanted attention from the grownups, it would be even better if that never happened after all.

Thus after a few minutes more of them waltzing, Byleth had her pockets full with the smallest trinkets she was able to grab from the pile, mostly more jewelry, some scattered coins, the beautiful daggers which were more an ornament than actual weapons and one of the books. Edelgard had nowhere to hide things, but her arms were full of bracelets, to the point it was kind of hard for her to move them, and each of her fingers spotted a ring as well.

“You owe me for this.” The princess whispered once the song ended and they finally let go of one another, the farce over since there was no more need for it. Her hands already missed the contact, though, as she noticed how nice it had been to dance with Byleth and what a keen student she was – at the end, she had been the one leading, not El.

“Another dance then? And you’ll forgive me?” Byleth suggested with a small, hopeful smile, offering her hand.

She knew what that meant, that the older girl was legitimately asking her for a waltz, no pretense involved. She counted herself lucky that Dorothea wasn’t around to taunt her for the blush that etched her cheeks, was about to nod right away when some movement far away from them, but definitely on their eye level, called her attention at once.

They were somewhat close to the door, as they had been debating about leaving the mansion, and as such were able to see the entirety of the room. Something about that sight made Edelgard tense and freeze, a second before grabbing Byleth’s hand and tug at her so they could leave.

“Eldeg- “ She was about to ask, was shushed by the princess’s fingers placing themselves to her lips.

“Do not speak my name in any shape or form right now. Not even in a wrong manner either.” Her eyes were glued to a spot in the back of the living room and Byleth followed her gaze, wondering who or what had taken her aback until she found it – or rather, him.

The boy couldn’t be too much older than Edelgard, maybe around her age even. He was very pale and broody, light green eyes scanning the place as if searching for something. He wore black from head to toe, his hair being just as dark, and at first the thief wondered if he were just another servant. There was something about the concern in his face that made her sad, for some reason she couldn’t understand.

Those thoughts were cut short when the princess tugged more impatiently at her hand, almost urging her to sprint outside. “We have to go, Byleth. Please.” She said, not bothering to explain in that moment. Her lilac irises wide in surprise, her pulse fluttering in her chest as well.

“Alrighty.” She relented at last, then added before taking another step forward: “We gotta move slow though, or else people will note.”

No matter how distressed she was at the sight of that boy, there was no disagreeing with that. She nodded, tried her best to calm her breaths and let the older child usher her outside, where the air was warmer and some horses neighed nearby. The servant that was supposedly standing guard in front of the door didn’t even look up from his book as they passed, now more like a proper run; a second later they glanced back and realized he was asleep.

“Seriously, that is preposterous.” Edelgard complained, even though the less they had been seen, the better it was. She had expected a lot more from that party; a look to her right confirmed that Byleth felt the same, what with how puzzled she seemed to be.

“That’s how dances work?” The question was tentative, as they stepped into the street and edged away from the few nobles that still hung around the mansion, not all willing to go in.

Not that they were wrong about wanting to remain outside. It was a beautiful night, the princess realized once she casted her eyes to the sky again and smiled, temporarily forgetting her worries at the sight of so many glittering, faraway lights. Remembered the promise she did with Byleth, wondering if she would always recall that moment whenever she turned to the moon and the stars.

“Oh, apologies.” She replied when the older thief gave her a questioning stare. She had been lost in a daydream and forgotten about her query earlier, just for a moment. “Hm, that is pretty much it, yes. I was not allowed to attend them when I was in the castle, but that doesn’t mean my siblings and I did not spy on it.” She giggled at the memory, on how silly that had been. Thought about how her younger brother would react when she told her she had been to a ball and danced as well.

“Didn’t miss much. It’s boring.” Byleth said, shrugging, her hand instinctively going for the girl’s ringed one and snickering at the sight. “Thanks for helping.”

“Ugh, do not mention it. I mean it, just do not. I would rather forget all the times I have assisted you like that.” The younger girl whispered, had half a mind to remove the rings from her hands and give them to the thief.

“Who was that boy though? He scared you before?” The girl queried, miffed at her earlier reaction and wanting to find out more about him. The only other person that El had reacted badly to in such a way was her uncle. So could it be…

Anger rose inside her at the thought that maybe the kid had harmed her in some form. It made her think about how good it would be to punch his face, make him pay for ever –

“No, quite the contrary really.” The princess quickly answered, noticing how those indigo eyes were squinting in fury, her hands tensing and balling into fists. Almost as if… “He is Hubert von Vestra and he is- “

“Lady Edelgard’s vassal.”

The voice that added that took them both by surprise, making Byleth stand in front of Edelgard as both turned to meet the one who had uttered that. The chilly, menacing tone making small goosebumps run over their arms.

The same boy from before stood in front of them, a few steps closer to the mansion. The moon and some candles from lamplights nearby casted colors into his face, both silver and orange etching his expression into one that was too serious for a child to bear. The dark, wavy hair shining under the glare of those lights, just making everything about him seem more dramatic. His jaw was tense, his one visible eye heavy and set, frozen in its intensity, the anger it exuded completely directed at Byleth for some reason.

His glance softened the slightest when it fell upon Edelgard’s careful, guarded lilac irises, her posture every bit as regal even though she was standing beside a common thief. The one that had taken his mistress away from the palace too many weeks ago, that had awarded enough punishment to last him for a lifetime, his father yelling himself raw while letting him know what a useless son he was. How he should try and have another in order to protect the Hresvelgs, even if Ionius and Marina were quick to let Marquis von Vestra know it hadn’t been the boy’s fault.

“Hubert? What… how did you find me?” The princess inquired at last, taking a few steps around Byleth so she would be beside her at the very least. “What are you doing in Enbarr to begin with?”

“Lady Edelgard, my sincerest apologies for taking this long to locate you. But please rest assured there was not one moment- “

“Spare me the niceties and answer my questions, now.” El almost shouted that, which made Byleth glance at her in surprise. It was indeed the first time she had seen her so angry, her forehead creased and tiny hands almost shaking.

“I hm… apol… what I mean to say is… I had to use some other methods, but was more than certain you were somewhere around Enbarr for one reason or another. Unless of course the rascal that took you decided it was a great idea to- “

“You shall not insult her like that.” Edelgard cut him short, her temper somehow getting the best of her. The thief was pretty sure her rules of decorum were explicitly against doing such a thing and denying someone the right to speak, but decided it was better to keep her life and not question her. Not when she looked that upset. “Even more so when, unlike you, she has actually managed to save me.”

 _Ouch_ , Byleth thought, wincing just as much if not worse than the polite, clearly distraught boy in front of them. He hadn’t dared to get closer to them, a decision that she now saw had been more than wise. Edelgard’s words were scathing enough from a distance anyways.

“Where were you when my uncle tried taking me with him to Fhirdiad? Against my will, mind you! And all my life I have heard that you are to be my protector, to stand beside me no matter what, to make sure I am safe. Safe, you say. So where were you when he _threatened to whisker me away and almost hurt me as well?_ ” Her voice rose even more, making Byleth wonder if soon some people form the other houses wouldn’t glance outside to see what was going on.

Hubert was at a loss for words. That was completely the opposite of what he had heard from none other than Lord Arundel himself, as well as from his father. Sure, he had been punished for not doing his job, but mostly because the band of merry thieves that had invaded Enbarr also happened to take Edelgard with them, as well as too many coins, weapons, valuable tomes and even paintings.

Yet now there he was, face to face with the little girl, not at all in the way he had thought they would be reunited. His liege claiming that the thief, who was a child no less, had actually saved her? What was going on there?

“How did you specifically manage to locate me?” The princess queried again, tapping her foot against the floor and trying to calm herself down. She had spent so many nights wondering what she would say to him when they met again. She even thought she would solace him, say that it hadn’t been his fault and that it was for the best, that she had been saved after all.

Those thoughts were discarded when he simply showed up, so many weeks after what had occurred, and seemed keen on implying Byleth had any fault with that matter. That, she could not tolerate at all. Even if she knew he had more than likely been reprimanded already, she would not be soft with him.

“I perfected a spell that pointed me in your general location.” He answered, eyes glued to the floor and voice more sheepish than before. It would have been funny to see such a menacing, intimidating kid reduced to that state if Byleth wasn’t feeling sympathetic. She didn’t think she would have liked to hear those words from Edelgard. “It makes me joyous to see you are well, mostly, and not stuck in a dungeon or being dragged around by those thieves.”

“You should ask my father or yours to invest more in your magical training, if you are to be my vassal after all. This took too long and would have probably meant my demise if we were in a more serious situation.” She spat back, voice relenting the slightest even though her demeanor didn’t.

There was something about seeing him there that made her more on edge that she should have been. Maybe it was the fact that he was an echo of the palace, of her life before that fateful night and everything it represented. Everything that she had, in a sense, left behind or been forced to do so. To see all of that right then and there, after just noticing how dull nobles could be after that ball, was just too much.

Byleth sighed at that, aware of what was going on to some extent. She was more than glad the newcomer had stood down and was looking more ashamed than hostile towards her, the way he had been when they stared at one another at first. However, she didn’t think it was nice for the princess to treat him like that. He had bothered to look for her, to begin with, and who knew what he had been through to get there as well.

Hence she picked up one of Edelgard’s hands in between her own and caressed it, willing all that tension to ebb away. Wanting her to go back to the sweet girl she had gotten to meet and protect all that time.

“Eldegard, you’re salting the wound now.” Byleth whispered in a soft tone, more than glad when she noticed how her shoulders unclenched and her hands were welcome to the touch. Her eyes, a few seconds ago nothing more than a stark, violent lilac, slowly returning to the soft tone she admired.

“Perchance you mean to say I am rubbing salt in the wound?” She corrected, her voice a lot less aggressive than it had just been. “Because that is not the case at all, Byleth. It is his duty to do what you, a complete stranger, did to me that night. To stop at nothing to keep me safe, even if the threat in question is just perceived and not completely blatant. To do so, even if the one putting me in jeopardy is a member of my own family.”

Her eyes were cold again, piercing, shooting daggers at the vassal who had dared to look up from the floor and try gauging her mood. It had been too soon to expect her to relent, he knew enough about her to understand so. However, this was new even to him. It was the first time she had chastised him so.

Which, in his mind, was enough of a confirmation that he had been fed lies before going on his own clandestine mission in search for her.

“You have the right of it, as always. Please, allow me to make amends to this.” He whispered, bowing in deference even though he had a feeling those words would never be enough for her to relax.

“Make amends, how?” She inquired after sighing, too tired and worn out from that day to actually be able to deal with that as well. Having to ask for atonement in regards to Byleth’s thefts had been enough.

“We should listen to him.” Byleth offered, as he was unsure about what to say. “He been in the palace until now, right? It’s good to know how things are going there.”

There was no arguing with that, Edelgard thought as she finally allowed her body to relax and nodded once, then turned around and took a first step forwards. “Very well, I suppose we can at least listen to your story. However, rest assured you are not, as of now, forgiven. Follow us, do not make a noise until we arrive and if I ever notice you being hostile to Byleth, I shall make sure not even your spells can find me again.”

The boy somehow managed to nod, even though his demeanor was frozen and tentative. He kept his eyes down as he followed them, even though something like molten fire bit at his insides at the sight of that older kid. Or the thought that, all things considered, she had been the one to save him from being further humiliated by his liege. It made him grind his teeth and stomp his feet until the princess brusquely told him to stop, her hand encased in the thief’s as they sauntered side by side, their postures translating a closeness he had never obtained with his charge. There was no denying the guilt he felt then, the jealousy… but more than that, the regret of not only failing his duties, but also choosing to believe the version his father had told him of what had happened.

Shaking his head, Hubert decided he would never listen to the man again. And do everything in his power, from that day on, to uphold his vows to Edelgard and keep her safe from whoever even dreamed of becoming a threat to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did part of me want to name this chapter "Dancing with the Stars"? Yes. So why not mention it on the notes as a... secret chapter title anyways xD  
> So for those of you who had talked about a certain vassal earlier... there you go! Sooner or later he was going to make an appearance, but plot-wise it makes more sense now (and there are some things coming next, I assure you).  
> But before all that... why not have our girls talk about love and have a nice dance at the ball - even if they didn't totally enjoy that? 
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please do check @Fodlan_Olympics on Twitter! It's a really nice project and it's been loads of fun to be part of it :3


	11. "Salting the Wound"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert accompanies Byleth and Edelgard back to the alley, where they find a thoughtful Dorothea. They talk, with the vassal being shocked to find some things he had been told about the entire ordeal were lies. He tries convincing Edelgard to return to the Palace as well.
> 
> After a sleepless night and a battle of sorts, they're confronted with an issue they had been trying to ignore or distract themselves from for a while.

They weren’t surprised to find Dorothea still awake when they went back to their alley, a broody, silent Hubert trailing behind them. He had decided it was best to be quiet, as every time he had opened his mouth as of late he was severely reprimanded by his liege. Luckily the other girl, that scoundrel of a thief, had deemed it her job to keep Edelgard from saying something more.

Not that he was grateful for her, not the slightest. There was undeniably a part of the story he had yet to listen to, or get more clarifications to, and that would eventually come from that girl. And of course he had to admit it was good that she had kept the princess from sending him away, as he was pretty sure she was about to.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t scowling at her all the time, even more so when he noted the way she held Edelgard’s hands. So casually, as if she weren’t just touching one of _the_ Imperial princesses. The one that happened to be his charge, no less. And one of the reasons why the palace had been brought into chaos as of recently.

His eyes fell upon the other girl in that alley, a brunette with lively green irises who was lying down beside a pale, very weak-looking woman. She feebly beamed at the newcomers and was about to make some remark when her glance fell on Hubert, her eyes becoming alert and suspicious.

“Who is that one, a date? I asked you to bring me something nice and he’s nothing but.” She said with a venomous voice, unwillingly leaving the woman’s side as she got to her feet.

“Believe me, a part of me wanted him as far away from us as possible. Since he has failed his duty to begin with.” Edelgard replied, standing beside Dorothea and watching the boy’s face twist with the accusation.

She knew this wasn’t the way she should behave towards him at all, since he did come to her even if it took a while. But even so. Just looking at him and remembering all she had left behind made her furious. The thought that she would have been taken from her siblings, her family, her home one way or another, if her uncle had succeeded in his endeavors and no one _else_ had been there to protect her, too much to be dealt with.

“Regardless, well… this is Hubert von Vestra and he is my retainer. Or at the very least, he shoul-“

“Eldegard… Salting the wound again.” Byleth meddled, her voice a bit reproachful even though she understood where the girl was coming from. She was probably too little and too unused to the ways of the world to understand it wasn’t right to blame someone else like that when things went wrong.

“Excuse me? How dare you mispronounce her name like that?” The boy exploded, thought he had heard her wrong back in the streets but there was no missing it when they were so close. “What matter of blasphe-“

“She may call me whatever she likes. She has earned that right after proving her loyalty to me over and over. And for her services, which have included keeping me safe, well-fed and dressed. One of those attributions, curiously enough, belong to you originally.” The princess spat back, her lilac eyes narrowing. It had been a long day already, she wanted to lie down against Byleth and fall asleep. Not be confronted with her past.

Sure, so in the back of her mind she knew she was making everything worse. But seriously, had he even expected her to accept him back with open arms and a smile? She could have been harmed or killed in his absence.

“Ok, before either of you say something, lemme see if I get it.” Dorothea interrupted, as Hubert had opened his mouth to probably try to assuage the princess’s anger. Vassal or not, didn’t he know that was almost impossible? “You should have kept her safe the day her uncle tried whisking her away. You’re just a kid though. Yeah, it didn’t stop Byleth from helping, in a weird way, but even so.”

“I am no mere child, miss…”

“Dorothea. Just Dorothea is good.” She rolled her eyes, unused to being called anything other than her name. Would place a sword against his throat if he ever tried to address her by any royal titles at all.

“Miss Dorothea, then.” Hm… she did sound more royal-like than any other kids he had met throughout his journey so far. Yet he couldn’t truly remember meeting her, either. It wasn’t as if he had left the Enbarr Palace a lot himself, only if his father had deemed it necessary to take him somewhere in order to teach him the proper makings of a retainer. Still, maybe there was something worth checking about her. “I have been training to keep Lady Edelgard safe since I was six. And I do have a certain… talent at my disposition.”

The princess sighed as he opened his gloved palm, which she now realized was torn, soiled with a mixture of mud and blood. Not a second had passed before he started focusing that a beautiful fire ball emerged from it, somewhat looking more potent than either Byleth or Dorothea had ever seen. They were fascinated with the way it enlarged, thinned, shot into the sky and was reduced to mere nothing due to his will alone.

“Oh please, spare me the theatrics. Byleth can yield magic too and at least she has used it to roast some fish for us. Which is way more useful than… this.” She pointed at that display, rolling her eyes heavenwards.

“Goddess, you’re even more insufferable when you’re irritated.” Dorothea giggled at her capricious display, at how childish it all looked. “So the guy wasn’t there when he was supposed to, no big deal.”

“No big deal, you say. It almost cost me too much!” Edelgard exploded, was about to go on when Byleth came to her side and enveloped her in a hug. “What in the manner of all heavens are you doing?”

“You’re too tense. It’s all good, though, we’re safe and he don’t mean bad. He’s scared about everything, just like you.” The older thief crooned, petting her back and feeling as she slowly relaxed, let herself go in their embrace.

It took a few seconds of that, and El remembering how she was apparently “salting the wound” for her to completely understand and ponder over the implications of her behavior these last few minutes. Sure, so her anger was justified – but there was always a limit to everything. And her yelling at him wasn’t solving anything to begin with.

“I… suppose so. And I have never liked those who judged others poorly, but here I am doing the same thing.” The princess shook her head, pulling away so she could look at Hubert, her hands still on Byleth’s. “Very well. Please tell us about what you have witnessed and heard. And apologies for treating you so unfairly.”

“B-by no means, Lady Edelgard.” He bowed deeply, ignored Dorothea’s giggle at the gesture and joined the three girls when they sat on the floor, flames long extinguished from his hands. “It uh…” Had he ever stuttered so much? His father would have had a day yelling at his lacking speech skills if he had heard that. “It all started when some thieves were spotted in the Palace. I do not know if they went somewhere near you, so I apologize if they did– “

“Byleth did not just drop down from the skies, you know.” Edelgard said, wanting him to get to the gist of it while well-aware he might have some gaps to fill. “As I am sure you must have already figured out, she is one of the thieves from that band. The one who spotted me when uncle Arundel tried forcing me to go to Fhirdiad with him – almost threatening me physically, might I add.”

To their surprise, he turned to the older thief and addressed her instead: “So you were the one to harm Lord Arundel with a dagger?” When she shrugged and nodded, he turned pensive. Wondered how much of what he had heard was actually correct. “Hmpf, he did say he was attacked by an outlaw. A burly, strong one as well.”

“I can’t imagine the damn nobles’d like it if he were to say he was attacked and bested by a little kid. Even though Byleth’s a devil with weapons.” Dorothea mused, a small smirk on her face. “Yeah, it’d hurt his pride and make him the laughing stock of the palace, no less.”

“I do not think it is your place to speak ill of the nobility, mi-“

“I do not think it is your place to try chastising my friends, Hubert. Stick to the facts, if you please, and do go on. I long for a good night of sleep after this, not more of your bickering making its way into my dreams.” Edelgard cut him off, impatient. She had been suppressing yawns for the last five minutes or so and didn’t know how much longer her eyes would be able to stay open. He had to be faster about it – she wanted to treat him better but at the same time it didn’t feel as if he were giving her reasons to do so.

“As you wish, of course. Hm, I was summoned as soon as the thieves were located. At first it was thought they were solely on the left wing of the palace, not everywhere, but apparently that was a ruse as well. The moment we arrived there were three of four total, so we were quite certain the Imperial guards would be able to subdue them, even if they seemed to be seasoned fighters and magicians. The issue is that… It was a trap and not only did more bandits join them, we started hearing yells all around the castle. Staff or your siblings found more roaming through their things, grabbing paintings, weapons, everything they could put their filthy hands on.

“By the time we decided it would be better to reconvene in the Main Hall and make sure everyone was ok, you were already gone. Lord Arundel sported the wound on this wrist and required some medical assistance, as he was bleeding quite profusely- “

“Serves him right.” Byleth interrupted, nodding as if proud of herself. The gesture was received by twin giggles from the girls and an even deeper glare from the boy. “Uh, sorry. Go on.”

“… I cannot believe you were the one to ensure my liege’s survival for that long.” He mumbled, but shook his head and relented when the thief tilted her head to look at him. “As I was saying, that was the moment we realized you were missing, the fact turning into real chaos after your uncle said you had been spirited away by a mean, strong-looking outlaw. The way he cried alongside your siblings, Lady Edelgard, it was hard to not believe him. He called himself names for not being able to protect you.”

“I assume everyone was convinced by that display of tears and drama. And the mayhem around did nothing to aid, either.” The princess commented, doing her best to keep anger at bay. Squeezing Byleth’s hands a bit more forcefully than she should, which caused the older kid to look at her in a warm, comforting way. She eased her fingers, lest the girl had some other idea and took to openly soothe her in front of her vassal.

“Precisely. I could expect nothing less from your perfect reasoning.” He bowed, then regretted his actions when she scowled at him in return. Flattery had never gotten anyone anywhere with her, though. “After the situation was… as under control as it could be, guards took stock of what was missing. Retainers and tutors were asked to placate the children and the Emperor. It was the first time I saw my own father so hard at work.” He grinned and El snickered at that, imagining the scene. “Some soldiers were called to make sure the Palace was really free from all robbers. Others were dispatched to go search for you.”

“Question.” Dorothea said, raising her hand as if she were in class. “If those guards really were sent to look for Edie, why we’ve been free of them for all this time?”

That query made him wince – it was exactly the issue he was about to get to, but at the same time hadn’t wanted to address so soon. Or so late at night, in any case. And he had had one hell of a long day before getting there, his locating spell wavering and faltering as always, draining his energy and making him go through literally every part of Enbarr his liege had been for a while. Where her energy signature was stronger, for one reason or another.

He had to give it to the trio, though, they had been all over Capital recently. Even in a damn cathedral too.

“That is… another matter entirely. Things have been confusing at the Palace as of now. Guards and soldiers have been called back to attend to internal issues, to ensure everyone’s safety. Hence they are avoiding the city and will probably continue to do so for a while.” He said at last, when he felt three pairs of eyes boring into him.

“Speak plainly, Hubert. What is happening at home?” Edelgard spoke slowly, more for her sake than anyone else’s since she actually wanted to follow that up with more questions. With all that had been keeping her awake at night and plaguing her during the days, when she couldn’t distract herself fast enough.

“I apologize in advance for not knowing specifics, but the entire matter is also too new. It began some days after you were taken and mostly it revolves on… some strange people coming and going too often. Guards have been keeping the Hresvelgs inside, mostly to ensure they are secure and no other band of thieves will try harming them. It is enough that we have lost you.” He concluded, his voice terse.

“Is that all, however?” She inquired, feeling something hidden behind his words. He usually looked or sounded ominous for people who didn’t know him a lot, but she was more than used to his moods, to the way a simple intonation could translate his real emotions. And what she had felt coming from him was dread.

“Your uncle has yet to leave the city, or the palace for that matter. He has been in long meetings with your father almost every day and barely goes away from his side. I have tried to spy on them, to see if I can understand anything they are speaking in between themselves, but I have nothing solid to offer as of now.”

“I… I do not know what to think of this. Why are the guards so necessary at the palace? Surely it is a safe place by itself – er, it _used_ to be a safe place by itself without the need for increased security.” She mused, unsure of what to make of the information she had been given. It was inconclusive, but at least she knew she could still trust her vassal. “As for my uncle, he has been acting completely out of character as of late. It is even harder to predict his next moves. Now, do tell me, how did you manage to get away?”

“I- I had to harm some soldiers in order to do so. It was not a task I enjoyed doing and at the time the prospect was… fearsome. But I did it anyways, if they are not invested on finding you then I told myself I should. Your siblings have assisted me in the matter, too. Lady Marina is surprisingly skilled with magic herself, though her lance fighting is still unparalleled.” He answered, caught the amused glances on the three girls’ faces and scowled at it. “What, have I said something humorous?”

“Yeah.” Byleth replied, still holding Edelgard’s hand and swinging it back and forth. “You’re all proper and stuff, it’s fun to think of you hitting guards. How’d you do it? Fire balls?”

“… and other… methods. Even more so as I was coming to Enbarr and they spotted me, seemed to think it would be a good idea for them to take me back to the palace.” He answered with a grin that made the older thief giggle, whereas Edelgard sighed and Dorothea felt a shiver run up her spine.

“Wait a second. What other methods are you speaking of?” The princess demanded as a recent memory, something apparently small that they had heard not so long ago came back to her.

“Confusion spells, some incapacitating ones, fire magic, hm… I once had to drop a small tree on a guard, but then he had it coming since he was sleeping on the job. Against said tree, may I add.” He sounded so proud of those deeds that Byleth was soon laughing, not realizing what was going on. They wouldn’t put it past her to ask Hubert to teach her those spells, either.

However, Dorothea and Edelgard had apparently had the same realization. They shared a long, surprising glance before turning wide eyes at him.

“You don’t mean- “

“So you were the one- “

“Hm, what’s up?” The older thief inquired once she realized there was something the other two had noticed.

“Are you the one responsible for making guards forgetful or hurt?” Edelgard accused, part of her wanting to laugh at the entire deal and another wanting to chastise him for doing so – though she wouldn’t deny how helpful his interference had been. They had never needed to run away from soldiers, since none reached the city to begin with. “They have been talking about you even in services!”

“And here I thought the person behind those things was a tall, old mage with a pointy hat and a nice wand. But you?” Dorothea jeered, giggling and making the others girls snicker alongside her.

It only got worse when his blanch cheeks gained the slightest bit of color, as he realized that his actions had not gone unnoticed. Not that he had cared if they did – but it was something else to hear that he had gotten quite some fame in Enbarr due to his spells.

“I, uhm, I assure you it was all for your best, Lady Edelgard.” He sheepishly said, trying to keep his composure. “But now that I have found you at last… It is time for us to return to where you belong.”

That cut all merriment from them, as if he had pulled a silence spell on the three girls at once. He watched as the princess’s irises, once open and more relaxed, hardened again to the same deathly, ominous purple he had seen before. Had thought at first was nothing but the mere effect of lightning, the fact they had met in a darkened street. However, there was no mistaking it for anger itself.

“Excuse me?” She simply inquired, back straight, hand letting go of Byleth’s. Her face was set, impassive almost, and even Dorothea glanced at it with some semblance of fear.

Had they ever seen her so… out of it?

“That is why I have come, after all. To free you from your captors and escort you back to your family, since the guards are not properly doing their jobs.” He tried his best to ignore how his heart lurched inside his chest at the mere thought that she wasn’t happy at that. That, as well as everything else he had witnessed for the last half an hour or so during which they had been talking, was completely not what he had expected to find when he took the first step on his way to Enbarr.

“I refuse.” The word was final, unquestionable. And she damn well wasn’t about to repeat herself.

“You cannot stay here, in between thieves and dying adults, while your family misses you and yearns to have you back.” He argued, voice stable. “This is no place for a princess, to begin with. Your siblings have been frantically trying to convince some guards to come for you. The younger ones cry every night, wondering if you are not dead. Your father is in shambles, his words make no more sense. It looks as if he has lost a part of himself, too.”

She sighed as guilt coursed through her. Hearing about her family was heartbreaking, all things considered. It wasn’t fair that she was putting them through so much, for the simple fact that she wasn’t there. However… “I cannot return and I will not. Until Lord Arundel goes back to his own lands, I shall stay here, where I am safe.”

He could do nothing but stare at her in disbelief. Was there no end to the amount of unexpected things he would find in that trip? His eyes were on her for longer than it was comfortable, he realized as her angry stare was twisted by another scowl.

“Lady Edelgard, be reasonable. I shall not repeat my arguments, as I am sure you are more than capable of understanding them.”

“As you should.” She shot back, letting tiredness finally get the better of her. Not that it didn’t have, before, but still. Her voice was a bit too on edge for three little words.

“However, I cannot come back empty handed either. Or simply allow you to stay in this despicable place like that.” He went on, eyes sweeping around the alley and finding it much to his… utter distaste. It was too dirty, too chaotic, too… completely not what befit a princess.

“And my words still stand. I hope you consider my own point of view and what I have said about my uncle. I do not, under any circumstance, want to be in the vicinity of Lord Arundel for as long as he is here. And if you ever insist with your wishes, over my own, well… I shall have to ask Byleth here to see you out.”

As if on cue, the older thief got to her feet and stood protectively in front of both girls. The sight made Dorothea giggle, whereas Edelgard had to admit she had never seen her vassal look so furious before. It didn’t take a genius to understand why – he was more than likely still feeling the sting of not being the one to keep the princess safe when she needed it the most.

“No need, Lady Edelgard. I will see myself out in order to not disturb your sleep at the very least. We will continue this conversation in the morning. Please do take care.” He said in a sad, brisk tone as he turned around and went away. Sure that, if he weren’t the one to excuse himself and give her respite, she would more than likely do it with harsh words.

Words that would echo in his brain as much as the other ones already were, each as loud as his lone steps over emptying streets. There were still some party noises coming from the house where he had seen the two, more out of sheer luck than anything else, but besides that it was quiet and he had a lot of time, space and silence to think things through.

Thus he made his way to the small, abandoned house he had claimed as his own a few days ago, scaring others away due to a magical barrier, and set himself on the task of making up new arguments to convince his liege. He would not see her come to harm, even if in theory she was being protected by that thief. But then… how long would that last? How much longer did they have until the uncanny girl would turn on them, reveal her true nature and take the princess to the other bandits?

He didn’t trust her, wouldn’t trust her no matter all she had already done for Edelgard. Actions usually did speak louder than words – and hers were pretty broken too – though he was convinced she had ulterior motives for treating his liege so well. No one would do something like that from the bottom of their hearts, no strings attached.

He would rather not find out what those strings were, or see Edelgard break when she found out the treason, no matter the way Byleth decided to betray her. Which meant there was only one solution to that entire predicament.

Hubert von Vestra would have to find a way to defy orders, this time those that had come straight from the princess, in order to ensure her safety.

It had been a very rough night, all things considered. The moment Hubert had left, the moment the three girls thought they would finally get some respite, was actually when things got a bit more difficult.

The three shared a knowing, tired look and Dorothea decided to save her questions for the next morning. They had been up for too long already, for one, and still had some things to do as well. It didn’t mean she wasn’t delighted when she saw how much the two had been able to get from that mansion, her eyes widening in joy at all the jewelry and trinkets, the small daggers that were more decoration than weapon and the coins (though she wrinkled her nose at the book, wondering why that had been picked up of all things).

“We’ll divide them tomorrow.” Byleth said with a yawn. It was hard to see her getting that tired, but the last few days had been somewhat eventful for her, what with keeping an eye on the kids and Cerys during the night, once her ragged breathing got too loud for her sensitive ears.

A while ago the woman would cough for the whole night, something that kept all three of them awake and staring at her, unsure of what to do. Now, it was as if she had grown too weak to do even that. The sense of dread that accompanied the older thief whenever she did as much as take too shallow breaths only intensified through the passing days.

She hoped for a calm night, at least this time, and as she selected some food for them to share and asked Dorothea about what she had done while they were gone. The girl shrugged, bristled a little at the question and said something vague about practicing with Twisty, though her eyes fluttered ever so slightly towards her mother when those words were uttered. They knew when it was better to let things go and pretend to accept the lie, though there were still a few minutes of heavy, knowing silence around them as the meal was finished and they curled up to sleep.

At first Dorothea refused to lie down with them. Nights were becoming warmer and as of recent the two younger girls had taken to just lying their heads on Byleth’s lap instead of huddling together. Yet in that particular one, she was uneasy to stay so far from Cerys, for a reason or another, and feeling somewhat guilty on having all that comfort to enjoy. Perhaps it was late and she was a tad confused or lethargic, reminiscing of a time when such things wouldn’t be issues for her consideration. Times when her mother would sing her to sleep, both of them lying on an ample bed with silken sheets over their bodies, cats curling on their feet.

But then, no matter the path life had led her so far, she was just a child. And as such, it was more than ok for her to want her mommy to be with her, right?

There was no need to ponder over those things, she decided, then complied as Edelgard and Byleth looked at her with concern in their eyes. She gave her sleeping, too pale mother a last, long glance and set her head on the older thief’s lap, unwilling to close her eyes or fall asleep for the longest time. Her mind spinning around in circles at thoughts too raw and unfinished for her to make sense of. A part of her wanting to hope, to have faith that their visiting a Cathedral and her praying to Sothis had been helpful. Had been the push the Goddess needed in order to look down on her predicament with forgiving, understanding eyes.

Even if, deep down, she had a feeling bargaining with such a deity was not something she should ever try, or think that she could do and be victorious. Why would She listen to her, a crestless child that had spelled dishonor on her parents’ names?

As if sensing her distress, the way she sometimes thought Byleth could, the older thief gently put a palm on the crown of her head, then started combing her thick, wavy hair with her fingers. The motion slow and soothing, more careful than she would think a seasoned fighter like that her would be able to. A second later, one of her hands was being held by Edelgard as well, her skin smooth and unmarred by years of training or hard work.

Dorothea opened one eye at that and glanced at both girls, realizing they were smiling at her in a reassuring way. She wished she could do the same. Wished, even, that she could squeeze the hand that held hers and pat the leg she was lying on. However, try as she might, those actions never came. The energy, motivation or whatever it was to keep a façade long gone.

She had been doing her best to not distract them, to not let her fears over the fact her mother’s state had improved for no more than three or four days before going back to how she had been when the two girls walked into her alley – and her life – overwhelm them.

It was becoming harder and harder to do so as days went by and that same picture repeated itself all over and over. How the intelligence that had flooded Cerys’s eyes at those first times she had woken up and interacted with them slowly ebbed away no matter how much medicinal oils Edelgard slathered on her wound. How her body yet again succumbed to fits of coughs and fevers so strong she would tremble from head to toe, until her muscles lost the ability or strength to try warming her up like that.

Something that, at first, the kids had taken as a good omen – if she weren’t shaking, then she was getting better, right? Until they saw her more and more unable to hold objects, a glass of water or her end of a conversation in those times she was lucid. And although the princess had kept it a secret from Dorothea that she thought the woman’s wounds were not only festering, but spreading, there was no way to stop the girl from seeing her worsening state.

“Do you want to talk, Thea?” El gently inquired, her heart panging at seeing the despair so clear on the other girl’s emerald eyes. Yes, the time for masking those feelings was ending, they knew. One could only attempt to play make-believe for a certain while, right?

“N-no. But thanks. It’s been a day and we should get some rest.” She answered, genuinely grateful. It had been enough for her to fret over Cerys during the few last hours, as the woman did wake up but was too weak to swallow anything. It didn’t even feel like they were back to square one; rather, that they had gone backwards and made things worse.

Had they, though? Had it been a mistake to try every plant they could get their hands on, infusing them, making teas, oils and so on? Not that she had been doing any better without those, and for a while she had recovered. Had seemed to recover at the very least. But then…

“Yeah. You gotta sleep. I know you haven’t these last days.” Byleth said with an extra affectionate pat on her head. “I’ll keep watch over her too and it’ll be ok.”

“I can try and ask Hubert to get us a healer when he returns tomorrow. Because I am sure he will anyways and I am confident he can… talk people into doing our bidding.” The princess mused, was glad when Dorothea gave a small smile in response. “But first, sleep.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” The girl answered, yet again falling into the habit of denying her feelings. Especially those feelings, too deep and convoluted for her to understand.

And the last thing she wanted was to be deemed as a nuisance, as someone too dark and brooding to be worthy of their company, and at last to be shunned. She wouldn’t be able to take it, the mere thought of being cast away by those two enough to make her shudder.

“We’re here for you, Thea. G’night.” Byleth whispered in between a yawn, her voice rising as she spoke through it. It made them giggle, dissolving the dread at least for a little while. Enough so they could close their eyes and let their tired bodies override their antsy, wired minds.

However, respite was hard to come in that night, as if deeming them unworthy. At first, it was tough for them to fall asleep. No matter how much they tried to shut their minds and tried thinking good thoughts, it wasn’t enough to lull them. Faint sounds coming from the mansion nearby, from the party that was still going on, reached them at intervals as the door was opened and closed, some drunk nobles yelling blasphemies and stupid curses to the winds.

No matter how funny it was to hear inebriated scums screaming how “preposterous, utterly depraved and completely, irrelevantly obnoxious” some ministers, life itself, their neighbors or whoever were, it got to a point that Edelgard almost jumped to her feet and politely yelled back at them to “shut their insufferable mouths”.

Soon some couples, families and spirited individuals joined them and started laughing, talking, dancing and singing too loudly, the way only people who were in heightened states could do. It got even worse when other nobles from houses nearby screamed back at them to be quiet. Then a real ruckus began; even Byleth wanted to meddle and silence them all out.

All in all, this didn’t stop when light started seeping into their alley, the nobles’ fun only being broken by Cerys’ gasps, small moans and halfhearted coughs. She had woken up once or twice and the three girls had been more than keen on assisting her, doing their best to hide sadness at seeing how hooded her green eyes were, how unable to focus on them as they served her some water and the softest bread they had, something they always took for her when they went on food heists.

After some time they gave up trying to sleep altogether and decided it would be better to get moving than to lie down sulking, despairing or worse. Dorothea shook her head when Edelgard went to crunch and boil some herbs, wordlessly admitting that perhaps all they had been doing had been for naught. The princess’s face remained stoic at that, but her lilac eyes darkened the slightest in understanding. She put their tools back into place and stared first at the woman, then at her daughter, unsure of what to say. They were unsure about it, about how to deal with what they were seeing.

They skipped breakfast, a first in all the while they had been together. They were too restless to sit down and had no appetite after everything that had happened insofar, to actually think about food. Byleth and Dorothea instinctively went for their swords, the older thief more than happy to teach her something new in order to not think. The grind of muscle and bone familiar, soothing, distracting, a feeling that apparently the other girl shared.

Edelgard thought about watching as she waited for Hubert, knowing he would come back. She felt left out of that, doomed to deal with her own thoughts and theirs as well once she sat down beside Cerys and took in her state. Her parted, charred lips. Her blanch face, so pale it glistened. Her rapid breathing, chest feebly rising and falling with each useless, too shallow intake of air. Hair dismantled, clinging to her forehead as beads of sweat had fallen from it. Hands lying in abandonment to her sides, torso slipping to the floor so she was more lying down than leaning against the wall.

She wanted to do something, anything, to reverse this. To stop wondering if somehow her own mother had one day suffered like that. Mentally apologized to Cerys for the sole fact they were children, mere children who had no idea of what they were doing. Who had tried their best, but visibly their best had not being enough

There was nothing she could do. Nothing but either sit with her feelings or distract herself, just as her friends were doing without her. Well, she would only get more frustrated if she were to grab a sword and try that. What about that nice new weapon Byleth had gotten to her yesterday? Would they mind if she got that and tried it by herself?

Instead of letting doubts plague her about that too, she simply got up, deftly avoiding Dorothea’s Twisty, and took the axe away from its wrapping. Again, she was surprised at how light it was, given its size and the fact it almost trailed over the floor when she held it down. Her arms gingerly raised it, then brought it down with more certainty than she had when she tried training with swords.

“Yeah, like that.” Byleth said, startling her. The thief had somehow crept to her side and was appraising her grip, stance and motion. “Just try grabbing it far from the blade, it’ll help when you swing.” She made the motion to make herself clear, a small smile on her face at seeing the girl pick up a weapon and at least not dislike it.

“Thank you, I would really like some assistance.” She preened the slightest, also proud of herself since she had been wondering if she would ever get to be a warrior, as lances and swords were really not her thing.

“Stand still, then.” The older thief said, side-stepping her. Then, she placed a hand on the one that was gripping the hilt of the axe and moved it down. Another palm went on Edelgard’s hipbone and she went on: “Gotta use your body to guide your arms. Same for sword by the way. Easier to slash and strike if you’re full into it.”

She guided the princess as she raised the axe and slashed with it again, let her feel the difference between that first, tentative strike and this more calculated one. The younger girl allowed a satisfied smirk to cover her lips before going at it again and again, more than happy with Byleth’s presence beside her, aiding her in that task. It felt comfortable to do so, to have her grounding her in that first fighting class.

“Look at you go.” Dorothea commented with a nice beam as well, crooning over their efforts even though a part of her wanted her teacher back. She had been given a combo to try, two different up slashes and a diagonal one which could help in both attacking and defense, but wished the older kid would look at her efforts.

The thought she had been the focus of Byleth’s attention when it came to fighting for the last weeks did nothing to appease her.

“You are doing great, yourself. I wonder if someday you will be as good as Byleth, if you do not end up surpassing her.” The princess amicably shot back, though she did feel something like longing in Thea’s eyes once she glanced at her.

“You’re both good.” Byleth said, patting her head for a second. “Bend your knees.” She instructed, hands still on hers. “Get a feel for the weight now and tell me- “

“What in the dark flames of hell is going on here?”

That voice came from the entrance to the alley, the hiss and menace on it enough to make them flinch and stop what they were doing. Dorothea actually gasped at the sudden outbursts and the words as well, almost letting go of her sword and recovering it last minute.

They turned around to glance at the newcomer and weren’t surprised to find Hubert there, a bundle of sorts on his arms and a deep, sheer fury coating his light green eyes and his face pale as death itself. His irises getting extra angry when they scrutinized how Byleth was touching his liege, even more so as the two girls kept touching even after Edelgard lowered her axe.

“Could you not make yourself known in a less scandalous way?” The princess said as a greeting, too tired to deal with him as of then. They seriously needed to rest, she realized, cringing at the bite behind her own words. “Good morning, though.” She added in a slightly softer tone.

“Good morning, Lady Edelgard.” He replied, also in a gentler way, bowing so deep the bundle almost fell from his hands. The sight making Dorothea giggle at how stupid that was.

“Hey mister dark and scary.” Thea said in a light, mocking tone, as Byleth pried the axe away from the princess and put it to the floor, then waved at him. “What you bringing there?”

“Nothing for your eyes, I assure you.” He replied, huffed at that, though a bit more at ease now that the scoundrel of a thief had finally stepped away from the princess. “It is just a set of provisions I have brought from the castle, for Lady Edelgard’s needs.”

“Well, as much as the gesture is appreciated, I am sure you can now see how those will have to be shared.” El answered, approaching him so neither of her friends could be in his line of fire. He wasn’t looking very friendly – not that he ever did, but the intensity behind his eyes the last two times they had seen each other was alarming even to her.

“You do know why I am here, I presume.” He deflected, eagerly depositing the cloth on her hands, watching as she looked curiously, albeit carefully, at it. “And I assure you there is nothing that can be of harm in there.”

“Hmpf, you want to convince me to go back to the Enbarr Palace.” She answered in a cold, detached way. Didn’t think she really wanted to hear his explanations to begin with. Rather, in a childish way she wished he had never come looking for her, had remained with her siblings for a while longer. Just enough so he could get more information on what was going on in the place, allowing her to adjust and get her bearings out there as well. Making sure there was nothing… dangerous, going around. “I remain unimpressed by your arguments yesterday, just so you know.”

“A failure I am well aware of.” He grimaced at that, wondered how to make things different. Had been thinking it through all night long in the safety of the small house he had claimed, far from the noise and chaos of the streets, far from sleep as well. Hadn’t been able to rest as his mind kept revolving around what he had heard, what to make of it. And most of all… on his inability to protect her even then.

“Do you have anything more to say, then? Or should I dispatch you back to the palace with strict orders that you do not return with silly ideas?” Ugh, how the mere sight of him was still making her mad! It was even worse since she could feel two pairs of eyes on her, gauging her actions and more than likely chuckling silently at it. At her.

“Actually, I do not have any more words for you. What I do have, however, is a request.” Her eyes widened at that, a good sign, he thought. He was sure she wouldn’t allow it, but even so. “I wish to challenge the despicable th- er… that girl for a duel.” He went on, motioning towards Byleth and noticing how excited she looked at the prospect. As if they were about to play a game. “A duel to ensure who is more fit to protect you.”

“Oooh, magic versus swords? I’m intrigued.” Dorothea piped in, placing a hand on the princess’s shoulder as she got near them. “Bold of you to wanna fight Byleth though. She’s really good.”

“That is exactly what I wish to measure. How _good_ she actually is, or if her being successful at keeping Lady Edelgard safe until this point has been all due to mere luck.” He shot back, losing hope on it as he watched the princess shake her head in exasperation.

She was about to open her mouth and deny that, unwilling to risk either of them anyways and to lecture him how foolish and unfounded that was, when Byleth also got closer to them and placed a hand on her older shoulder. The motion surprising her, since none of them had been able to hear her, even more so when her voice rang clear:

“You’re on.”

“Wait, I do not agree to this at the slightest!” Edelgard protested, turning and facing the thief with worried eyes. She knew how good both were. Hubert with his magic and the girl with her weapons. They could both get hurt, in a way that would spell disaster for them. Who would heal them if they did injury themselves?

They had already failed Cerys, it seemed. The last thing she wanted was to lose her vassal and her protector as well.

“I do, El.” Byleth said, winking at her in a soothing way. “You and Thea, go sit and grab some food. Gonna be a show and a half.”

“I can only say the same, myself. Although we should both be careful, given how narrow this is. I do not want to see Lady Edelgard getting harmed due to your carelessness.” He said as the two younger girls unwillingly went away, giving them as wide a berth as they could and actually sitting down.

“Yeah, no hurting them.” She assented, cracking her knuckles and selecting a sword she had been practicing with for the last few weeks. It was a steel one with good balance, neither too heavy nor too light for her. There was no doubt in her mind they were going for the actual spells and slashes, not practice ones either. Wondered if that was why the princess looked so scared, eyes wide and glued to them.

“You’re quite something, aren’t you? Making people fight over you already.” Dorothea taunted, sticking out her tongue. Part of her was excited, but she could understand the fear she saw in the girl’s face. They were going all the way, it seemed. And that could be dangerous, given how skilled they seemed to be.

She grimaced a few seconds later when Edelgard failed to answer, watching as they took their places in front of each other and prepared their fighting stances. Oof. She had been joking, trying to ease up the atmosphere around them. Even more so since she felt like a good reason why they were all on edge had to do with her – with her mother, more specifically.

The signs of decay so plain to see, it was impossible not to make alarm bells ring in their minds anyways.

“Hey, you guys, be careful to not hurt mom as well, ok?” Thea asked before they could move, wondering if her saying something at that moment was fair. Didn’t want to divert the two fighters, already so prepared and on edge, even though they barely spared her a glance and simply nodded at that.

“Hubert, before I forget. Once you are done with this… foolery, I would like to request your services to find us a healer.” _And then, get yourself back to the Palace_ , the princess thought, remembering that idea and finding it not something too lofty for her to ask.

He acknowledged her with a small head bow, his hands already sizzling with magic as Byleth ever so slightly raised her sword to a different attack stance. As much as she wanted to make them stop right there and then, there was no denying his focus. If he was ignoring orders like that, then well… it would be a waste of time to argue.

It was the thief who moved first, the moment she made sure both of them were completely into what they were about to do and no further distractions would happen. She took a small step forward, her feet curving the slightest over the ground before launching her upwards, just as the mage reacted and shot a fireball at her.

Of course it simply sailed through the alley and hit the wall, leaving a burnt mark where there had been only dirt and some scratches around. It did nothing to derail her, to err her from a track of direct collision against him. The boy sidestepped just in time, but not enough to actually avoid all damage to be done to him. Thus when Byleth quickly lifted her swords and brought it down to his side, he had neither the time nor space to dodge again and winced in pain, a thin line of blood running down his arm.

“He’s doomed.” Dorothea whispered as Hubert recovered enough to gather another spell and aim, but was unable to throw it due to how close Byleth got to him, her weapon already on course for another slash.

“This is utterly, completely useless in so many ways. I have seen him fighting before, but the stakes were different and so was the battlefield. It is hard for magic wielders to do well in close combat like this.” Edelgard mumbled back, sighing in exasperation. “He should have known better, all things considered. He was the one to explain me that.”

“You gotta admire his devotion for you then, little princess. He’s doing that to prove he’s better than Byleth, after all.” She retorted, then grimaced once the sword connected again, this time with his torso. “And damn if she’s holding back too.”

El didn’t even want to see that, tried her best to shield her eyes from how brutally Hubert was humiliating himself. Granted, the next time she lunged for him he was able to not only avoid it, but hit a spell too. That didn’t mean Byleth was deterred, though, only making her smile and try again. Her strikes too precise, even if she was making a point to miss most of them.

It soon turned into a dance she was playing at, while he was taking it all too seriously. Perhaps that seriousness was exactly what kept blinding him to obvious moves. He was completely in his head, Byleth realized, had seen the same pattern on Edelgard when she got the sword for the first time. It was only different since he was fighting in his element, or kind of. Well, his weapon had been the one he had chosen, but his strategy was off.

Unless of course she had been underestimating him all that time and he did have a plan to best her. But if the small, equal parts annoyed and desperate light in his eyes was something of a telltale sign, it more than likely wasn’t the case. Which meant she had to be careful for both of them.

It surprised both Hubert and their little audience when Byleth dodged another fireball and threw her sword on the floor one second later. “Not fair.” She explained, gathering magic into her palms as well. A sphere of pure white light appearing in the moment it took for the mage to recover and get his own spell together too.

“A magic off! Yeah, way better.” Dorothea cheered, actually excited at seeing how that would change things. It had been rather boring to watch the boy being bested in a rather unfair way.

“You could just as easily cease this, you know. There is no need for either of you to prove me anything.” Edelgard tried intervening, but shook her head in defeat when they both launched their magic at the same time, deaf to her arguments. “Well, no one can say I did not attempt to stop them.”

Things did change a lot when they focused solely on magic. Although Byleth had more than simple knowledge of it, Hubert had been trained in the Arts since he was a small kid and made his father’s cup of coffee levitate because he wanted a taste of it (had he been punished for it? If one considered getting tutors at the young age of 3 a punishment, then certainly so).

Thus this time around he had the upper hand, pushing her back against the wall, having her jump around and roll on the ground to avoid getting hit by enormous fireballs, on sizes she had never attempted to form herself, not giving her enough of a respite to actually get her own magic working. He was too used to the pull of spells, to working with mental rather than physical energy and focusing on just the right amount in order to obtain the results he wanted. It was the way he operated, as well, and that was in stark contrast with her own fighting methods.

Byleth was hit over and over, even if she didn’t show pain or a wish to stop. Eventually she would find an opportunity to gather her wits and counter, but it wasn’t enough to derail him from going at her again. Even though there were two or more wounds on his body draining some energy already, that didn’t mean he wasn’t motivated. Thinking solely on outsmarting that girl, getting his payback for all her actions had made him go through, all the yelling her father had done... The least she deserved was to be proven inferior to him in the matter of protecting the princess. Something that, he thought, he was doing very well.

Until the small moment when he was face to face with Byleth, a fire spell hovering over his palm, and her own Nosferatu hit him squarely in the chest, sending him spiraling to the other side of the alley as his vital energy was slowly transferred to her. His breath coming into tiny gasps, eyes narrowed to slits while watching how her skin began to glow, her wounds healed. Something akin to gratitude flooding his body when he was released from the spell, as his chest had started to constrict and his vision go a bit blurry, then cursed to himself when he failed to stand up again.

“We have a winner!” Dorothea announced, more than eager to jump to her feet and grab the older thief’s hands in hers. “Ladies and… princesses, Byleth has won in magic too. What prowess, what talent for the fight!”

“Hehe, it was nothing.” The indigo-haired girl commented, glancing at the alley to make sure everything was ok. Well, apart from some charred spots on the walls… at least there were none on people, and she was glad. Had worried about how impractical that place was for battles.

Edelgard got to her feet slowly, eyes on Hubert as he struggled into a sitting position. “You could have gotten yourselves gravely injured. Who would have taken care of you if that had been the case?” She chastised them both, mostly directing it at her vassal though. He should have had more sense to begin with.

“We’re fine, no need to worry, little one.” Byleth said in an affectionate tone, rubbing sweat away from her forehead. Feeling a mixture of pride and tiredness – she wasn’t used to tapping that much into magic, even if she knew the ropes of it. Yet couldn’t deny how good that felt, to win against the retainer who had been trained his whole life to protect El.

Yeah, maybe her becoming part of the child’s personal guard or something wasn’t so far off as she had mused about before. As long as she could impress some grownups, which she knew she could, it would be more than fine.

Those thoughts were distracting her as she turned around, then bent her knees to retrieve the weapon she had thrown away before. Only to be shaken into alertness when she heard a small gasp coming from behind her.

Her eyes at first widened in surprise at what she saw, then narrowed a second later. All the happiness she had felt a second ago at winning the match completely evaporated as she scrutinized somewhat of a horde, which had gathered close to the alley, too many people glancing at them in wonder and surprise. And the one individual who had dared getting into the place itself, the woman she would rather not see too soon. Or ever again.

Manuela Casagranda, in her splendor and with an equally surprised face, was standing there, immobile, her eyes darting to all of its occupants and lingering the most on Dorothea. Recognition and relief clouding them as she registered her. The young singer with the melodious voice, who had enchanted her so the afternoon before.

Never had she thought she would find the little girl again, not after that mass. She had tried running after them, but it was for naught – Byleth had been fast in pulling them away and a crowd had gathered around her, as it was prone to. Her face had fallen, her mind resigned to the fact the kid was lost to her, lost in the rivulets and craziness of Enbarr.

She had kept an attentive ear even so, trying to locate that same voice, the lilting way it shaped words it barely knew, untrained yet so full of promise even then. During her usual walks around the city, which she took when there was no performance to be done in that time, she had looked left and right for that mess of brown hair so like her own, but came back to her house empty-handed.

Then this morning, after a fitful night of sleep, she had decided to hit the streets again. No, that was wrong. Her body had urged her to do so, making her rise even earlier than often and start pacing around before grabbing something to eat. Luckily there was no hungover from last evening to be dealt with either, so her head was clear- clearer than it had been in a long while. Her eyes and ears, sharp.

Which was how she had heard sounds of a conflict, then felt the ripple of magic being called upon, a few streets away from the place where it was actually happening. Usually she would have been smart, run the other way and kept herself far from trouble. What with the absence of guards around the Capital these days, one could never be too careful. She always carried a sword around after some of her noble admirers had bestowed a dozen upon her and pleaded for her to never go anywhere unarmed.

However, her legs had another idea and pulled her exactly towards the action this time, before her mind could even catch up to that fact – or wonder what she was doing in such a ritzy part of Enbarr, where the most influential, rich and famous either lived or worked (or both). She had no idea what she would find once she came face to face with all those who were doing the skirmishing, pulling on so much energy so early in the morning.

It was undeniable that both she, and others who had clustered around that small alley, were shocked at seeing mere children fighting so proficiently and seriously as well. The girl was a bit slower to use her spells, that was visible, but she dodged and moved in ways that spoke of a seasoned fighter in a kid’s body. A discarded sword not so far away from her revealing that maybe she was more comfortable using a weapon, but had abandoned it later, as evidenced by the small gashes on the boy’s mage clothes.

Thus they had stared, mesmerized by that view and how the other two girls were watching with a mixture of contempt and gleefulness, another thing that spoke of that battle not being too serious and probably just a misunderstanding over whatever it was homeless kids fought for these days. While most of the grownups jeered, shook their heads in exasperation or made bets on who would win, Manuela couldn’t tear her eyes away from the three girls, easily recognizing them and thanking her lucky stars the brunette with wavy hair was there too.

She wanted to intervene, to tell the children to stop that at once and give her an explanation. Yet the moment her eyes registered the pale, sick-looking woman almost lying down in the far corner of the alley, she curbed that wish and ran an amateurish glance over her, too. Tried recalling all the information she had been studying in between a cup of gin or rum here and there.

When Manuela wasn’t performing, drinking or letting stupid men fawn over her for the fun of it, she would turn to books and pursue some sort of knowledge on her own. She had just started studying the healing arts and wanted to go further than simply learning spells. Her mind, even when tampered with, was enamored with details of human anatomy, of how the body worked and was configured so that all organs would, in tandem, make a person live. She passed on volumes that described the process of death, though, and was fascinated by all resources physicians had used or did to this day in order to keep people alive.

Her days at the Mittelfrank, while fun and more than cherished, would come to an end sooner or later, she knew. She would loath to be remembered as the diva who overstayed her time, who thought she could enhance her voice with magic and nobody would notice. Who wouldn’t take her director’s advice and accept the inevitability of retirement. So she planned, planned for a future where _she_ would be the one to kick them out of her life and not the other way around.

For that to come to fruition, she knew, she had to find another way to make a living. And suddenly the thought of being a physician herself didn’t sound that bad after all.

Hence the mysterious woman whose breaths were too short, too close together and strained caught her attention to a degree that she flinched when one of the children approached her and said:

“Want something?”

It was the indigo-haired girl who had been slow to use spells, the songstress realized. But… was the battle over? She turned around to look behind her and realized the crowd had dissipated, most people who were still hanging around looking at her with a curious, eager expression. She recomposed herself and winked at them.

“I’ll be there shortly, let me just see if these little ones are hurt.” She said in a merry voice that didn’t betray her concern, not only for the other adult in that setting but for the children themselves. When she turned to face dark blue eyes that were lightly narrowed as if in anger, she faltered for a moment, then asked: “Why were you fighting like that? You could have gotten seriously hurt.”

“Hmpf no one can say I did _not_ warn them.” One of the girls who had been sitting down replied, her tone, posture and the way she held herself yelling that she was a noble – though Manuela had a hard time believing that. She was flattered when the girl’s vibrant lilac irises fell into hers and she said: “Miss Casagranda, what are you doing here, though? This is not a safe place for –“

“It really is you.” The girl with the melodious voice said, as if in awe. She rubbed her face as if not believing such a thing was possible, then pinched herself to ascertain she wasn’t sound asleep and having a strange, very pleasant dream.

The moment she was sure it wasn’t the case, she and Manuela started taking steps towards one another, as if transfixed that such a thing was happening. The diva was about to open her mouth and say something, when a loud, shuddering intake of breath shattered their reverie. When they turned to see where had that come from, they rushed to take a closer look at the woman who was no longer just panting, but had opened scared, emerald green eyes, a contrast to the faint blue hue on her lips and fingertips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hubert still gets some backlash here, but blame it on the three girls being overly tired and tense with some things going on. Stiiiiill, he totally doesn't deserve it, right?  
> And now with Manuela coming in like that, how will things go? She will have a nice role in this, but that's all that I can say! Also, it was fun to think about how she started studying to become a physician (cause let's face it, Manuela is one hell of a talented lady).
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and check @Fodlan_Olympics for what's to come!


	12. A New Star in the Night Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Manuela tries helping Cerys to the best of her abilities. They deal with the aftermath of that, each in thier own way, which brings changes to the girls' lives in a whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna leave this here just because it's always good to have some warning beforehand. So... TW for a character's death  
> And if you want to get the feels, I recommend "Thorn in You", a song from Fire Emblem Fates that feels too iconic due to its title too (and yes, parts of this were written while listening to it). Here, that's a nice mashup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgqpdd85_w

Looking back, it was almost as if time had folded itself in two, separating a future which Dorothea had not wanted to accept and the present she had been holding so desperately to. Her feet, at one moment stuck to the ground, were suddenly upended in a void; her emerald eyes wide in terror, her own breathing becoming frantic as it matched the suffering woman’s, her mind whirling, collapsing on itself even as her body fought to keep standing.

The others moved before her, Manuela kneeling right in front of Cerys to better look her over, with Edelgard and Byleth standing to the side and Hubert keeping some distance, eyes for the first time careful, yet somewhat etched in sadness too. What he was seeing to make him sad, for a while she didn’t know. Wasn’t registering the scene, the sounds, how her mother seemed to fight against invisible hands, her body more shaken by spasms than moving on its own volition.

Even when her feet finally felt as if they were back to being bone, muscle and skin instead of iron and lead, thus allowing her to approach the group and take her place beside a stoic-looking Byleth, the mist covering her mind only became a bit less hazy. Enough so she was finally able to watch for herself what the others were examining with concerned, frowned expressions, tension clear in their shoulders, jaws and hands.

Her mother’s breathing was completely erratic, with no pattern or sense to it. Instead of just being composed by shallow inhales and fast exhales, it was out of control, strange, unsettling. It was an understatement to say that her face was pale, etching her blueish lips in a ghastly way. It was as if there were no more blood at all in her cheeks, nothing to make her look alive.

Alive… had she even been alive for these last few months? Despite that time in which she had actually held a conversation with Dorothea, her eyes focusing ever so slightly on Edelgard for some motive they could no longer know. Would probably never know, if things kept going on like that. Cerys’s fingertips, also getting bluer by the second, had long ago stopped weaving themselves into her daughter’s hair, combing them with a warmth she now more than lacked, an affection that perhaps would not return.

Before she could notice it, Dorothea’s own hand went to her mother’s limp arm, right over the already chilly skin. Without any true reason behind it, for a part of her mind knew how stupid the entire endeavor was, she started rubbing it, as if to warm her up manually so. She ignored the tears that threatened to spill, the yell that was lodged in her throat, already mixing with her sadness to make a barrier against her voice, her protests, all her discombobulated thoughts. Forcing them to stay inside and make their own volatile concoction, one that threatened to explode at every passing second.

The sole word that did escape her lips, due to how small and insignificant it was, how unable to change what she was seeing, was “no”.

She repeated a litany of it as her hands worked, her forearms soon burning and her hands protesting against the motion due to how fast she was rubbing the gentle, pliable skin that refused to gain some temperature no matter how hard she tried.

It didn’t matter that Byleth had hugged her waist to keep her in place, maybe at first to stop her, to make her still. She barely registered how there was another body close to hers, how there were many other bodies close to her. She didn’t hear what Manuela asked, the questions at first directed to her, then to Edelgard when only the princess seemed able to utter a coherent answer. Always the one to rely on words, to be able to escape into their realm for solace when something she had never seen before was happening right in front of them.

“I need any of you to tell me more about her, can you do that?” Manuela inquired, keeping her eyes on the gasping woman and the kids around her as well. Kids who were more than likely too young to witness something like that, whose eyes were threatening to glaze over in order to shield them from the truth. They couldn’t be allowed to escape though, not then. Or else the outcome would be the worst one possible. “Please, talk to me.” She said again, relieved when the noble-looking girl shook her head and turned to her.

“Miss Casagranda, she has been ill since we’ve arrived here. I-uh – we… we hm tried to give her something, something for her breathing and her wounds and her pain, if there was any, but we didn’t know what to do, how to go about it, where to-“ Edelgard spoke as fast as she could, trying to keep herself from despairing.

It would do no good if she were to say something incomplete or wrong in any form. Not that she understood why the diva of the Mittelfrank was kneeling in front of Dorothea’s mom, hand on her neck, trying to feel for something while watching every nuance of her movements, her breathing. It made no sense to let her go on and try healing Cerys, but all the same they somehow knew they had been too late. Making Hubert find them a healer now would be a waste of time.

Time that, they instinctively knew, was running away as fast as the life which was leaving Cerys’s body.

“What wounds, child? How long has this been going on?” Manuela went on, trying to keep her voice stable even if her own heartbeat was thundering in her ear. A contrast to what her hands were – or rather, were not – feeling.

Either she was too unexperienced, or the woman shaking underneath her hands had little to no pulse. Neither were very good signs anyways, but she tried changing the placement of her fingertips in order to get another shot at that. Hoping against all hope this was a situation she could intervene, if only she knew what could be done.

“I dunno. It’s been very long, I think. Dorothea knows best, but…” The princess went on, a part of her mind wincing at her poor wording. There was no time for her to waste, though, and as long as she could get the idea across then did anything else matter?

Her wide, terrified lilac eyes went to the other girl, who was trying her best to warm her mother’s arms, a pitiful attempt. Byleth, standing beside her, stoic and unemotional, just as she had been the first time they had seen one another at the palace. Or when someone had threatened either of them during the time they had been living together.

Their gazes met, solid blue on fleeting lilac, and Edelgard found her chest unfurling, expanding against a knot born from stress alone. She was finally able to take a deep breath herself, to focus on what was going on and what was needed of her. She felt somewhat grounded, present in a way that was eerie, yet necessary. Detached, but still there. She was the only one who could talk, it seemed, and she would do her best at that. Nodding silently to the older thief, thanking her for the support and that moment, she turned back to the songstress and gave that another attempt:

“When Byleth and I came, she was breathing a little faster already, kind of really shallow too. We found out she had a wound on her back, something ugly, all black and open too, so we tried hm… gathering some herbs in order to make medicine for her.” El said, uttering each word as clearly as she could, even if her mind was still hurrying and trying to determine what information was important for the woman to know. All the time glancing at Cerys and wondering if she looked paler, less there in a sense. “She hm… woke up sometimes and seemed better- “

“What herbs did you use?” Manuela asked, her own panic growing and churning due to those words. If what she had read so far, plus that story and the signs she was seeing right in front of her were any indication…

In any case, better safe than sorry. She called upon white magic, coating her right hand with it and placed the palm over the woman’s heart, willing warmth to spread through her body. That would, perhaps, help with the abrupt temperature drop. Then there was the matter of her lack of pulse, so maybe if she could push her heart into beating a little faster? Was there a spell for that?

She didn’t know, she realized. She had no idea what to do, as those were not topics she had covered as of yet. All the books on diseases that she had passed by, mostly focusing on explanations about how the body worked, what organs did and the harmony with which they went through life, making it viable and possible…

Life, not death. She had been studying in order to keep the living alive, to mainly help with cuts and bruises here and there, alleviating a stomachache or headache the most. Not that. Not someone… fighting to draw their next breaths. Gasping so wildly, thrashing and getting chillier by the second, their foreheads exploding in warmth even though the rest of their body was very, very cold. With no pulse whatsoever, or almost none at all, lips turning more and more tainted by blue as seconds went by.

The sight scared her, she admitted. She was perhaps even as scared as the girl who had beautifully sang the afternoon before (Dorothea, they had called her). But she couldn’t be, not when those kids depended on her for something as essential as that. For the time being, she would have to act, to pretend she was in an opera of sorts and play someone she was not. The thing was, whether she went on with that or not, whatever happened next was on her, and her alone. So she had to take a stand, and fast.

“Little one, what herbs did you use?” She repeated the question, trying to will more energy into her hands. Although it hadn’t been the first time she had called upon magic like that, she had certainly never done so while being that terrified of the whole situation. Her mind whispering that her efforts wouldn’t be enough. She pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the kids, however. On healing the woman, healing her blood if it was necessary and helpful to do so.

All the while trying her best to hide the lack of answer she could already feel underneath her fingertips, never a good sign at all. Living matter always responded, always gave back a hum of its own when touched by helpful energies like those, by the so-called faith magic. She had read so, had experienced it when healing a kitten that had broken its leg when trying to run away with some cooked fish, which Manuela had foolishly left outside to cool a few days ago. And there was no way the rules didn’t apply to humans, either.

Another thought she set aside as the girl stammered back a response: “We kind of used everything? Everything we could get our hands on, that is. We’d boil it and make an oil of sorts, then slather it over her wounds, give her some tea to drink later on.”

She winced, not liking the sound of that at all, but kept pushing magic into her body, not specifying what it should do or where to go. Just… to fix everything that was at fault. Which, she thought later, wasn’t as different from what those kids had done with their herbs, too. The measure was exactly understandable when none of them had much knowledge on how to help, but wanted to anyways.

“And did she ever improve?” Her voice shook the slightest as magic started taking its toll on her. It was not easy to keep that output, not the way she was doing, and a part of her also knew that it wasn’t the right manner to go about that procedure. It had never been beneficial to give someone too much of anything, including magic; this was not going to be the exception to the rule.

However, her mind screamed at her to do something, to save those kids, to give them back the one grownup in their lives, even if according to the girl not all of them had gotten to know the woman at all. Even so, Manuela _had_ to be useful, just this once. To be more than a mere pretty face with the pretty voice, the one nobles doted on at the Mittelfrank. She had to be… a healer, the physician she was dreaming of becoming more and more at each passing day.

It wouldn’t do for her first real test to be deemed a failure. At all. So she pushed. And pushed, against the borders of her own magic, her consciousness and all the knowledge she had acquired insofar, keeping faith that something would change.

As it had probably been the case for the little kids, when they were the ones doing the healing and having faith. “She did. For a few days at the very least.” That made Manuela smile, even if she was already expecting the rest of that sentence. “But then everything got bad again, and finally worse than before.”

Her chest fell with a particularly strong sigh as she watched the erratic cadence of the other woman’s breathing becoming faster, unwinding into mockeries of in and exhales, her trembling and gasping increasing and decreasing as in waves. As if she were fighting off that last moment, eyes wide and unfocused, hands jerking sideways and barely missing the children watching around her.

Manuela felt like her, as if her own mind were fumbling, searching for an answer that wouldn’t come. For a spell that didn’t exist. For a solution that wasn’t there, maybe had never been there to begin with since she had been too late. For respite, for someone to come to that secluded alley and save all of them, because she was more than sure she wasn’t going to be good enough, wise enough, skilled enough for that. Her own lacking magic, the cause of someone’s demise.

The cause of the tears now gathering on two young girls’ eyes, as the weakening woman stopped breathing altogether, her muscles finally giving up on all the effort, on everything they had been doing for the last few weeks in order to keep that failing body around. The will to fight finally ebbing away from tired lungs, tired eyes, a more than tired heart that had beat too fast, too much for the last couple of minutes, almost in compensation for the years it would no longer do so.

It was visible, somehow. They never thought it would be, least of all Manuela, who had heard of people passing away once or twice. Of all the ways she had pictured it, it didn’t go through her mind that she would just _know_ it had happened because she would see it. How it seemed like the body had become nothing more than an empty husk, devoid of that last sigh, that last light that signaled life. The eyes, always such a beautiful part of a human being in the songstress opinion, would lose their sheen, the intelligence that had made them alight and the personality that molded their gaze.

And although Manuela Casagranda wasn’t as much of a faithful person in that point in her life as she had once been in her younger years, she couldn’t help but think of a soul, returning to the Goddess. The same one that had taken her there. That had guided her to bear witness and do close to nothing as that woman, that unknown being, perished in her hands, in her arms. In front of four children she could not save.

That thought, along with the children’s questioning stares and small sobs, was enough to make her feel as if there were no air at all in that alley. She was fatigued to a degree, and not only due to the fact she had been spending a bit too much magic on someone who had been irresponsive to begin with. No, what tired her the most was the mental weight of everything, of all she had seen, more than what she had done – or, as her mind really whispered in order to drive the point home, what she had failed to do.

No one knew how to act next, what to say as the songstress took her hands away from the pale, lifeless body of Cerys Arnault and turned listless brown eyes to the kid next to her. The only one who had bothered or been able to speak through it all. Those wide, teary, scared lilac irises, once fixed on the woman and probably getting to the same conclusion on what had happened, snapped to the diva as she slowly said:

“She was hurt, you said? Would you help me see the wound?”

The question in the princess’s gaze was visible, but she didn’t utter the words which ran through her mind in response to what was happening, to what looked like a complete waste of time since the woman was already gone. Hence she fell into what was natural, to her training as a princess and on proper behavior, something she hadn’t needed to think about for weeks. Yet it felt normal for her to do so, to mask herself and all the strange, scary thoughts darting through her brain, then simply obey orders. After all, Manuela was the grownup, the one who deserved the utmost respect and to be heard above all else.

Not that she would ever want to take charge of that situation, if there were no adults in there at the moment in time.

She got to her feet, trying her best not to stare into those still open, lifeless green eyes which looked more like dull stones than anything she had ever seen before. Was unable to keep a sigh of relief from leaving her lips when Manuela, sensing her discomfort and that of the other kids’, did close her eyes. The finality of the action so clear, Byleth lowered her gaze and instinctively pulled Dorothea into a hug as Edelgard moved Cerys’s limp body around, marveling at how different it felt from all those other times she had done it before.

“It is in her back, ma’am.” She whispered, wanting to go to the other two girls’ side but also unable to move. She wanted to know more about what had happened, wished she had had a chance to talk to Cerys to begin with. Even though, a moment before her soul was gone, their eyes had met and it was almost as if she could hear words whispered solely at her. Words her brain had been too numb to absorb.

Together they lifted her ragged shirt and the princess watched as Manuela flinched at the ugly sight. It had only been getting worse, no matter if she applied some herbs to it or not. In the end most of her lower back was covered by darkened, black wounds so deep one could see muscle underneath. The skin more than visibly dead, decaying before the woman herself did.

And once she saw that, or maybe because her mind was starting to work in a more linear path than before, the songstress eventually understood what had happened. The words _septic shock_ echoing through her mind, justifying all she had seen and tried dealing with.

Who would have thought that a simple, infectious wound could do so much when badly tended to? Sepsis was usually a very quiet thing, something that moved slow but once it developed, became more chronical and could indeed lead to shock, a quite deadly condition. And Cerys had been suffering for a while, if Manuela had heard the little noble-like girl correctly, which would allow enough time for her organs to be damaged… well… to the point where they stopped working.

That didn’t mean the songstress’s self-imposed guilt abated, though. It just made sure she had an explanation for everything that had happened, making her think that was something she should have known better how to deal with. In the end, she thought as she covered the woman up again and placed her gently on the floor, she had done what she could with how little her notions about the healing arts were. Which only reinforced the fact that she would remain nothing more than a pretty voice on the stage if she didn’t pull herself together.

She surprised them when she called the boy closer and asked him to help her as she hauled the woman into her arms. Three sets of questioning, angry eyes settled on her, as if she weren’t Manuela Casagranda but the angel of Death herself. And although she could understand their feelings, being made to watch how one life could be extinguished like a candle when blown, that didn’t mean her own sense of inadequacy wasn’t fueled by those provoked, outraged stares.

“What do you think you are doing?” The regal girl inquired, pacing closer to her and standing in between a now-sobbing Dorothea and the stoic, clear- eyed older girl who held her.

“She has to be taken away, given a proper burial. We can’t just leave her body here, where you are too. You can accompany me if you want, there’s a place close where we can ask for help with that sort of thing.” The songstress replied, trying her best to keep a neutral voice even if her own chest was constricting with emotion. She had never seen death like that, never been so close to it while it was happening, while it took away someone’s last breath and caressed their souls, whisking it away with a gentle breeze.

As she took the first step outside of the alley, followed only by the boy and the kid who had somehow assisted her and now had tears silently falling down her eyes, she thought about what a fool she had been. There had never been a way for her to help someone stay alive by simply reading all she could about life itself. No, in order to keep death at bay, she would have to get very intimate with all the myriad ways it could creep into people, then undermine all that was necessary for living until the only alternative was a full collapse.

In other words, for what happened today to never repeat itself again, she was going to learn about all she had been avoiding until that moment in time.

The three were able to hear heartbreaking sobs behind them for the first five or so minutes of their walk. They could feel the weight of other people staring, and how some of them (mostly nobles) quickly looked away if either of them turned to hold their gazes in a defiant way. The condescendence even worse than what they had witnessed, the speed in which that faded away and others went on with their lives unnerving, undeserving. Surreal, in all the wrong ways possible.

All the wrong ways and fumbling thoughts that made a little princess cry, echoing the sadness of her companion back in the alley, the poor girl who had been abandoned by her father and lost her mother due to an unhealed wound the woman had taken in her stead. The impact of it so brutal her heart squeezed in a way it had never done before. Her senses so overwhelmed, she failed to register a soft, breezy touch upon her shoulders and a whisper which was taken away by the wind.

A whisper that said: _“You’ll never be alone, I promise you, as long as Anselma forgives me. But then… Perhaps now, I’ll be better able to take care of you, little Edelgard.”_ And then, closer to Manuela’s ear, though she was also too taken with her own internal world to notice anything else: _“And you… please, care for my little bird. Dorothea’s talented. She needs a family, someone to love her. She’s just a kid, after all. I ask you to have mercy on her, kind songstress.”_

There were no ceremonious acts or words as Cerys Arnault was lowered into the ground by Hubert’s levitating spell. Although many had seen the diva Manuela Casagranda parading with street urchins and a dead woman on her shoulders, none had offered to help. Not even the church members of a local burial grounds, who refused their request for their services, with the justification that if they started doing these for the homeless, they’d be burying them until the end of all time.

No matter how much a distressed, discombobulated Edelgard yelled, saying that she demanded it to be done or the Emperor himself would make sure their church was put down to the ground, the monks merely laughed at her, told her to stop playing knights and kings too often and turned away, leaving her to her tears and raucous tantrums. In the end Manuela and Hubert had used magic to get dirt and grass away from the ground on a local cemetery, then placed her there while the songstress and the princess intoned a holy hymn wishing that her soul would rest, be accepted into the arms of the Goddess.

Both hoping that all the rage and discomfort in their hearts wouldn’t be completely heard in their voices, despite their singing being tainted by it. 

They didn’t expect Hubert to join, nor did he, but nonetheless his face was respectful, downcast though he hadn’t even known the woman to begin with. Luckily Dorothea had said her mother’s name a few times, so Edelgard knew who to sing about, whose soul to pray to. Her mind questioning if speaking to the Goddess a day ago had been useful at all, as it hadn’t stopped the worst from happening. She let more tears run down her face at that, at everything she had seen, at the fear that had gripped her before. The uncertainty and worry that were coalescing around her, then.

Their way back to the alley was even more silent than it had been, yet lighter without the stares of so many that only wanted to hear the latest gossip, to understand why Manuela was walking alongside street kids while carrying the dead woman. That was good, it kept them grounded and stopped them from going crazy, since their thoughts had yet to get quiet, to return to a more linear pattern instead of running around in circles and questions.

It was a surprise for them to get to the alley and no longer hear the wails that had marked their steps out of the place. The setting explained when they were able to better see everything there, to watch for a few seconds as Byleth held a sleeping Dorothea in her arms, fingers rhythmically weaving themselves in her hair. The moment they arrived, the older thief stopped humming a lullaby Thea had sung to her a few times already.

Saddened cornflower blue irises turned into angry slits the moment after Manuela’s presence was registered. She stopped pacing, watched as the girl who had accompanied her took a seat beside the furious-looking one and leaned into her shoulder. She was still crying, the songstress realized, chastising herself for not saying a comforting word to any of them thus far. It wasn’t as if she weren’t in need of them, either.

“I… I’m sorry for what happened.” She began, in a small voice. Realized how impossible it felt like to talk, even though she had sung about death dozens and dozens of times in the pieces she had practiced to perfection, then performed in a good enough way to bring her audience to tears. Now that she had four children to solace, though, no words seemed to be good enough, to fit the situation at hands. “Death is truly something we’re not used to seeing and it’s ok to be shocked by it.”

“I’ve seen it. Worse than that.” _I’ve caused it_ , Byleth’s mind added, but she knew that was exactly a sentence that would get her into trouble. And the last thing she wanted, after all of that, was more problems. Yet… “First time it hurted so much though.”

Edelgard shuddered, nodding her head in a partial acquiescence. Made sure to speak softly, in order to not disturb Dorothea’s seemingly fitful sleep – the girl kept tossing and turning every three seconds or so, on a way that didn’t look very good for resting. “She is not even family, although maybe in a way she was. I cannot comprehend what Thea is going through.”

The older thief enveloped her in a hug, holding her closer, being their rock again. She rubbed her back in the same soothing speed she was using to pet Dorothea’s hair and went on: “She cried, screamed a bit. I put her on my lap and she just sleep. You can sleep too, if you need, Edelgard.”

The princess shook her head, thankful for the offer. “I cannot, not now. Not until she wakes up and we can talk to her.”

“There’s a chance she’ll not want to talk, you know.” Manuela whispered, just as the boy finally gave up and sat beside the two girls.

She sighed in annoyance, decided it was stupid to let one child intimidate her and did the same. Letting her body relax, glad a season of performances had just ended and the directors were still trying to come up with a new play for them. She’d have to say no if somebody told her there would be rehearsals that night. Her body protesting the loss of energy in form of magic, just as her mind did with the fact she had just stared Death right in the eye and lost to it.

“Each person processes emotions in a different way.” She went on, using the sound of her voice as a distraction, the issue completely unimportant. “And you just have to let her, allow her to express herself in whatever way possible, mostly. It might be difficult at first, but with time…” She let the sentence trail away, when she realized they weren’t even paying attention to her. “In any case, you were at the cathedral yesterday, weren’t you?”

“Yeah.” Byleth answered, still remembering how things had seemed so simple a day ago. How she had had fun, stealing an axe for Edelgard, taking her to a silly dance. And now… “You sing pretty.” She added, just because she herself was feeling too drained to actually be spiteful. The woman had helped, or tried to, all things considered.

“Thank you, little one. I’m sorry we couldn’t have met in better circumstances, but I was really looking for you after services. For her, more specifically.” Manuela confessed, her eyes affectionately falling over Dorothea’s curled form, her ragged breathing as well. “But that’s not the time for this, I suppose. May I have your names, at the very least?”

“Byleth.” The thief said, then pointed to the others. “Edelgard, Hubert and Dorothea.”

The songstress let her eyes linger upon each of them, most of all on Dorothea, for her amazing voice, and Edelgard, a name she recognized from another noble who used to go to the Mittelfrank all the time – then joke about stealing her away for a day so she could meet his niece, who loved her voice. Their eye color, so rare, was so similarly warm and thoughtful, she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to him. It had been a while since his last visitation, truth be told.

Though of course, that couldn’t be the same Edelgard that kind man had spoken about. There was no reason for a noble child to be at the streets to begin with, even if that girl did sound, act and look as if she were royal to the last strand of hair.

Hubert and Byleth were the only two she couldn’t read, didn’t know what to make of. The girl’s stance was protective to the point of being almost aggressive, though she couldn’t say if that was a general state or if it had just shown up since they were in a rather stressful situation. The boy was just strange, in a way, all calculations and very little room for emotions. She wondered what had gotten such distinct, spirited children together like that.

“And what’s made you come to the streets? Or were you born here?” She asked, genuinely curious, wanting them to be distracted with something else. Even if that matter proved to be dark in nature, everything would be better than them thinking about death itself.

She was completely not ready for the stories she heard, after Edelgard and Byleth exchanged a probing, curious glance in between themselves and shrugged, as if deciding it was ok for her to know the truth – even though the boy winced and almost told them to say something else when the Palace and his liege being a princess were mentioned. Her face wanted to fall at so many parts, she could barely believe what she was actually hearing.

Years of practice as an actress made her able to keep a neutral expression through it all, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t questioning everything that left her mouths, pondering on whether or not that was all a part of some very elaborate make believe and maybe their parents would come pick them up in a few. But the cold hard truth, she knew deep down, was that they weren’t lying. That the little princess had been saved by a thief, who kept her hidden from a while, then stumbled into Dorothea and her story sometime later.

And now there they were, after some days of stealing and eating enough sherbets for the entirety of Enbarr, one of them an orphan, the other two wondering where their mothers were and what they would do when Thea woke up for good.

That didn’t mean her heart didn’t ache for their tales, imaginary of not. A part of her sure that was actually the truth given how their emotions varied as those words were uttered, spinning the web that was their backstory, everything that led them to that moment in time.

The pain etched on the princess’s whole demeanor as she spoke of the world she had discovered, so much crueler, crisper and colder than she had thought before. The faintest tinge of sadness on the older thief’s eyes as she watched it, wanted to solace all of them from what had happened in the past, what was happening now. Her own face, devoid of emotions, a welcome respite to the whirlwind of feelings around them. The rock amidst the storm.

The boy’s faint unease, only a small hum in comparison, when he talked about his journey, about all he saw, heard and thought about while trying his best to be useful to his liege. A liege that had despised him the second he made himself known to her, that perhaps still did even after witnessing something like that.

It was stunning to her that so much was coming from kids. They were only children, but the way they related each story, all the nuances on it and what they had been through, made her feel like the young one there. Her life, a rivulet of ups and downs like everyone else’s, seemingly pale in comparison to what was described, the few crumbs they gave her in relation to Dorothea as well.

In the end she wanted to hug them, to let them know everything would be ok, just as she had done to some children in distress she had met throughout life. The ones that had cried when tripping and skinning their legs, or who had failed at the few singing lessons she had given before joining the Mittelfrank. However, she knew how these particular kids would easily see through her words, regard them as nothing but lies. They were more experienced, less gullible than most chiildren their ages.

Life, in some way or another, had taken away some of their dreams of security, leaving only the need for self-defense and survival. Those had hardened their gazes, their gestures, but not enough so it would take away their childlike care of one another, something she saw whenever the two girls looked down at Dorothea, or Byleth asked if Edelgard was ok.

All in all, the songstress couldn’t find it in herself to leave them to the shambles they called a home. Even if they had more than enough food to live, some clothes and more weapons than the nearest store, it wasn’t in her to just let them be. To walk away, forget everything that had happened in that morning and drink away her sorrow, her wishes that she had known more and saved that poor woman and her child as well.

They spent some time in silence after finishing their stories, wide, questioning eyes fixed on her, looking more like the children they should be. Manuela sighed, glancing at each of them, trying to transmit some security and stability that she herself didn’t have. Wished things were simpler, easier to solve. The request she wanted to make not completely feasible at first, but one she had to extend nonetheless.

“Come to the Mittelfrank with me, little ones.” She whispered, already knowing their answers even before their stares closed off, skittered away from her. “It’d be better than for you to remain here, in this place.”

“You’ll send Eldegard to the palace again. I know you will.” Byleth protested, and she wasn’t completely wrong about that. The songstress did have a mind to call in the authorities and send the princess back home.

“Well, it isn’t safe for her out here, don’t you think?” She softly queried, scared at the way the older thief hugged El closer, almost shifting enough to rouse Dorothea.

“I’ll keep her safe. I promised.”

“I for one have to agree with Miss Casagranda.” The boy nodded, glad someone was saying something that made sense in all of that – and even more glad it was a grownup who did so. Maybe that would finally make them, or at least _her_ , listen.

“Well, excuse me but I do not.” Edelgard piped in, so quiet it was almost impossible to hear her. A first, when she was actually protesting what was said. “My uncle is still there and – why are we even talking about that? Dorothea’s mother just _died_. This is not about me. It is not the time.”

As if on cue, the sleeping brunette stirred, a hand feeling around her as her face scrunched up in thought. Everyone stopped, turning to look while she slowly blinked, trying to situate herself. To remember what she was doing, asleep on Byleth’s lap in the middle of the day. With so many people scrutinizing her, one of them being her favorite songstress ever.

That last part made her shot wide awake, pushing herself into a sitting position and edging away from the older girl in the meantime. Her expression curling with an unasked question just as her eyes darted around the alleyway, searching. Her mind, slowly unfurling, welcoming wakefulness, then shunning the entire world as it recalled what had just happened. What had exhausted her so, that she had been unwilling to do anything but fall into deep, dreamless sleep. The tears yet again springing to her eyes as her mind rushed, clambered, clung to crumbs of half-formed thoughts, then felt those slipping away from her, being crushed under her tiny hands no matter how gently she tried holding them, being replaced by too many memories.

Too many times that would no longer return, no matter what she did. That would, soon, fade away as reality set in. As the years went by and she would no longer look at emerald eyes so like her own, no longer lie in a warm, comforting lap when she was cold, nor find the solace of open, waiting arms when she was sad.

Just before, she had lost the notion of warmth, family, and home when her father had expelled them both from it. Now, the world had robbed her the last portion of those things. The last source of love, of affection, of care that had always been there. That primordial connection, shattered. The thought of it, so cruel, chilly and scathing, it was as if she had finally been the one to take the wound Cerys had shielded her from, and was bleeding from it.

She didn’t even feel it as more tears left her eyes, or small moans of protest emerged from her lips. As everything swirled around her, since there was absolutely nothing rooting her to the ground below or keeping her aware of the sky above. Not even two pairs of small arms bringing her closer to their bodies was enough to soothe the roar, the ocean of emotions swirling inside her heart. The adult’s gentle, warm hand as it touched her shoulder nothing but a painful slap, a mockery of what her mother and no one other than her mother had done for her.

Her chest tightened in a way that was suffocating, no matter how many whispers of reassurance surrounded her, promised to keep her safe, to keep her warm, to give her love. She knew enough then to never believe that again. To not fall into the trap that something, anything, was eternal. Promises were just empty words. She wasn’t loved. She wasn’t worthy. She wasn’t good enough.

All she had, all she would ever have, was pain.

“L-leave.”

Her voice was broken, raucous, but with enough strength behind it to shock the ones around her. Eyes open, sight distorted by recollections she tried, yet still couldn’t bury, she watched as two girls, a boy and a woman she admired flinched at the intensity with which she had said that.

The fact they had yet to move making her even angrier, more determined to repeat herself.

“Leave me.” She said again, enunciating each syllable with as much emphasis as it was necessary to get her message across. Her mind whirled, was unable to deal with so much, with so many people surrounding her, their warmth and… life too unsettling to her. Even more so since the only person she longed to see, to be with, was no longer there. Would never be there again.

“Dorothea- “ Edelgard whispered in the gentlest voice she could muster, eyes filled with tears as well. By that point she and Byleth had let go of her, so she reached out a hand, trying to wipe away the moisture that crept down the other girl’s cheek.

“I said leave me! Now!”

They did finally retreat, giving her more space as their eyes widened in surprise. At first Dorothea didn’t understand why, even though she was grateful for their absence since their presence was too much of a memory of what could have been.

It was only when she felt a sting upon her palm and looked down that the reason for their withdrawal was made clear to her. Upon her hands, in between her outstretched fingers, electricity was not only gathering, but dancing in there, a small thunder to express the great ones going inside of her. The extra, pent up energy seeking release and finally finding it, at least for a while.

It didn’t matter that it was hurting her, this power she hadn’t even known she could tap into. The sharp pain was welcome, a tiny relief to how her heart was aching as it shattered, collided upon itself, unable to handle the truth. A truth that had been creeping upon her with each passing day, but had still been a lot to take as it finally became reality.

“Do I have to repeat myself?” She screamed, tears still flowing, an endless river. Electricity crackling in her palms, biting into flesh even as she gathered it, somewhat more menacingly, and made to turn at Edelgard. She knew this would activate some people’s danger sensors. The damn princess was more important than her, after all. Had been since the beginning.

“We’ll go. Stop that, stop hurting yourself.” Byleth said on clue, jolting to her feet and planting herself in between Dorothea and her charge. Wasn’t really willing to do as requested, but understood the need for solitude somehow and didn’t want to risk the little girl she had sworn to protect. “We’ll be back, tho.” She added, grabbing an equally resistant Edelgard’s hands and ushering her to walk.

“Dorothea I- we… We are sorry.” The princess added, unable to stop from crying even though she knew she had just been threatened by powerful, unbridled magic. She didn’t care. She wished she were stronger, to fight away from Byleth’s grip and go to her friend, to whisper all the soft words that would maybe help her.

She wasn’t though. She couldn’t do anything as the older thief took her away, her sobs too loud for her to hear that Manuela, who had lingered a moment longer in the alley, had whispered a soft “I’ll be back as well, little one. You’ll never be alone again and I’ll make sure of it.”

Words that, the songstress knew, were scorned at and completely set aside as fury, sadness, sorrow and a sense of helplessness took over the brunette, wrapping around her on a deadly embrace. One that, she hoped, the girl would be able to fight and free herself from someday.

Yet for a while she couldn’t. Thea simply laid down on the floor again, watching as her companions walked away. Had half a mind to ask them to return, but no voice to yell that request, no energy to shape her wish into words. She couldn’t even tell what would be more helpful anyway, their presence or the empty space and cold alley left behind when they were gone. Not even the summer heat, already seeping through the walls and the street right in front of them, was able to warm her up and she shivered, trembled in the sense of lack that she had felt accompanying her before, but was only intensified by that primordial loss.

Magic soon left her fingers, not to return no matter how hard she tried to channel it to her palm. She sought not only the feeling of power, but the acute pain which, for a few seconds, had made her feel more grounded, outside of her mind and back to the world again. Yet it wouldn’t come back, another point that just served to show her how much of a failure she was.

It was too easy to curl up on the floor, on the exact spot where Cerys had been for the last few… months? Weeks? It had been so long, days flowing into each other, that suddenly she couldn’t tell. Could barely remember a time when her mother had been healthy, playing with her, singing whatever song they both recalled from the few times they had been at the Mittelfrank, before all of that had ever happened.

She closed her eyes and tried her hardest to imagine there was nothing wrong. This was just another day when her mom wasn’t feeling the best, but things would be ok. The grownup was there, soft and warm beside her (so why was it that she could only feel the hard, chilly floor?), she would wake up and talk to her again (but her voice had become small and raspy, then failed her a long while ago), would nestle her in her arms and lap (yet her arms had been limb, then cold, so cold when Dorothea had touched them for the last time, rubbing them as hard as she could in order to warm them up), would sing her worries away (when there was no song that would keep her safe, nothing in this would that actually would) as her eyes grounded her due to how green they were (so, so dull in their last moment, airy as well, a mere shadow of all they had been and the life they had had).

So many moments ran through her mind at once, that she felt like floating in dark currents, unable to stand up or fight her way out of it. Her physical sensations, the cold floor underneath her and the sounds coming from the street (something she loathed, even more so when she heard giggles) not enough to keep her there.

In that state, Dorothea Arnault more drifted through than saw the day pass by. Her body shivering, sometimes begging for food she felt too weak, or too undeserving, to actually get. Her sides aching from the prolonged pressure against hard surfaces, a feeling she at first ignored, then relished in. The thoughts that had carried her in a frenzy slowly drifting away just as she sometimes did, sleeping and awakening at intervals to realize that nothing had changed around her, but everything still did inside, in her own internal world.

At times she cried silently, then progressed to wails and sobs whenever the realization that she had killed her mother (by being the reason why they were thrown into the streets to begin with) took over her mind. At other times she simply glared, mentally cursing her father, the nobility, Edelgard herself and her nice Crest of Seiros, the Goddess who she had prayed to yesterday, the snobbish noble who passed so close to the alley that she could see him.

And then, too tired to do anything else, she just let it all be, thought of nothing, did nothing. Became immobile, a husk, her breaths so slow one would have thought absent if they didn’t watch her more carefully. Her eyes barely registering that light was shifting, that the day was going, that time was moving and so was life, going on without her. It was fine. She had no mind to be a part of it, in any case.

She was so dazed by it all, that she didn’t even see it as Byleth, Hubert, Edelgard and Manuela returned in a moment when the sun was almost completely down. The only thing that did make her register someone else had arrived was the fact that the two girls shifted her to a sitting position and placed her body limply against the wall before moving to sit in front of her.

“We are not leaving you, Dorothea. No matter how much you tell us to.” Edelgard spoke, her voice resolute and final. Thea wasn’t a noble, she didn’t have to follow her orders and wouldn’t. Wouldn’t believe in the ugliest, most blatant lie in the entire world.

“We’re your family, little one.” Byleth whispered, languidly moving so she could pick one of Dorothea’s hands in hers. “We stick together even if we’re insowfferable.”

“Eat, my little bird.”

She didn’t know exactly what it was that got her out of that reverie, those words by themselves or the soft, coaxing voice which said them. Manuela had taken a seat beside her, then got some bread from a purse she was carrying and offered it to her, gently placing it over her limp, open palm.

The gesture so soft, so incredibly caring, just as the stares and small smiles she was getting from the other ones (even Hubert was trying to be… less imposing or ominous, by standing away and grinning), that she felt like an even smaller kid, completely helpless and lost.

A sentiment that would go on for days, as that same pattern repeated itself. Not that she cared, or took stock of how time flowed, shifted, moved. How days became so long there was almost no night, though everything around her felt dark, cold and eerie. A restless, sluggish kind of dark, like those nights when one could never sleep which were followed by days that were unmoving, unyielding, equally cruel in their passing.

And all the while, words would come, trying as much as they could to rock her, just as she had been swayed ever so softly as an infant. Their pulsating vibration and sound a mere, distant light that barely managed to graze against her skin.

“You’re doing good already.”

“We’ll stay with ya.”

“You are loved and precious, even if you do not believe it as of now.”

They swirled around her, a rivulet of energy that felt like a stark contrast to the magical one she had called upon so many days ago, that more than likely still roared in her veins and probably made an appearance in her palms once or twice. It settled on her chest as she nodded, as she took a first bite of the food she so desired, and made it easier for her to breathe. Even if she went on crying and everything felt menacing, crushing in a way, it was slowly becoming… smaller than her.

She didn’t believe the words, but devoured the love just as much as she did the food that was supplied to her. It didn’t matter who was speaking or what was being said. There was just a new, wider void inside of her that needed to be filled with something, anything. Voices, food, encouragement, touches. She didn’t know how long that would last, how long it had already been going for, but didn’t want to find out, either. It was still better than having to deal with her mind, with reality itself.

“Here, come walk with us.” The princess said one evening, when Dorothea was finally done eating more than she had in the longest while, springing to her feet and offering her a hand. “It is a clear, beautiful night and you have been lying down for too long. This cannot be good.”

Despite eating and getting what one could call rest in all the fitful sleep she had had through… however many days had already gone by, she had no strength to protest, to pull Edie down to the floor as well. So she had to accompany them, one hand in Byleth’s and the other in Manuela’s.

They walked in silence, though, which was a necessary condition for her to simply function and exist in that world as of late. Her eyes were listless, yet her mind would burn when she spotted a noble house, willing it to crumble one day. Or a royal family, taking a night walk just as they were, dressed in all off their perfect clothes, talking about their perfect meals, flawless past and impeccable future.

Everything that usually spelled beauty and richness was loathed, cursed down to its foundations by her in that night. Maybe she would have let those thoughts go on until she was actually able to summon enough magic to burn them down, if Edelgard hadn’t motioned to the stars above, to how beautiful the sky actually was. She pointed at constellations, making up names and stories in order to distract Dorothea from what everyone could see was her furious frame of mind. Her palms, tingling with electricity and sometimes hurting both Byleth and Manuela, who silenced their complaints and just kept on walking.

“What is that star, then?” Thea spoke for the first time in what seemed like forever, pointing to a very shiny, gorgeous one that stood out in the middle of the others, as if calling for their attention.

“Hm… I do not know, myself.” The princess answered, frowning. “Perhaps it is a new star that is still undiscovered! Why don’t you name it, since you were the first of us to spot it?”

She looked at it for a few seconds, at how it sparkled, seemed warm and infinitesimally beautiful even though it was… well, just a star after all. The answer rolled clear and easily out of her throat anyways.

“Cerys. That one is called Cerys.”

“Come to the Mittelfrank with me. You will be my understudy – I have heard you enough to know you have the potential to be an incredible songstress.”

That request was done every single morning, then every single night if Manuela didn’t have a side performance or two to work in. She would go there to check on the kids, hand them some clean clothes she’d get and food from her place, ask about Dorothea and repeat her offer.

Every day, without fail, she was rejected. The woman had tried all she could to reach that saddened little girl whose voice fell quiet after too much crying, who no longer made immense heist lists for her companions to go over. It would be a victory if she ate or drank something at all throughout the day, to begin with. They would count themselves equally lucky if she went with them for walks, but knew she wouldn’t choose anything for herself. They equally missed her jokes about how nobles were stupid or the times when she’d want to scare them.

Twisty, her sword, was abandoned, lying beside the axe that Edelgard hadn’t had a chance to name. The two of them usually watching Byleth practice her martial skills, then get some magic coaching for Hubert afterwards, both of them stopping to look at the kids when Dorothea sobbed or the princess sneezed.

That second part of the older thief’s regimen had come to an end that morning, though. El had just dispatched her own vassal back to the palace, asking him to keep an eye on how things developed there and then report it to her once he had something more solid – or even better, news that her uncle had left. Unable to convince her to go with him even when using Cerys’s parting as an argument, he resigned to following orders and grudgingly agreed to that.

He departed after eating something, as soon as Manuela arrived. Hubert’s expression showed he had wanted to argue, but knew no one else had the mental energy to deal with bickering or what he wanted. If nothing, the occurrence had only brought the girls closer, even if Dorothea had yet to answer to all the love that was now being poured on her. It was a battle he would never win, no matter how sound his reasoning was.

Thus he wasn’t there when a still listless, yet somewhat angry Dorothea finally conceded, then added in a small, raspy voice: “With one condition: that they’ll come with me too. I’ve lost too much and they’re the only thing left of my family now.”

“Of- of course. I never meant for them to not go with you.” Manuela replied, her eyes falling over the other two girls who gave her a sad smile before gently coaxing Dorothea into a hug. “Get your things, then. I have to talk to the director about the three of you, then get you girls settled in my house.”

It was late afternoon when they moved, mostly dragging a still languid Dorothea behind them. Edelgard sometimes marking their way with small sneezes, which she had developed as of late and they mostly attributed to her overly crying, especially since Thea had done the same in between sobs and some words. She – no, all of them – had become mostly quiet, though. Most of their jokes dying down, as if taken away by the woman whose silent presence had been one of the reasons why Byleth and Edelgard had stayed around after getting the bracelet back.

Nevertheless, as their procession happened throughout Enbarr, a similar one was taking place in the forests around it, as Hubert slowly made his way through trees, stopping here and there to analyze marks of past human presence that hadn’t been there before. Wondering if the famed Blade Breakers had been scouting around, even though Byleth had told him one of those thieves had found them in the alley already, so the possibility was highly unlikely. Which made him question why no more had followed suit, maybe gotten the place surrounded at night and forced the girls to surrender. Maybe they had something else in mind. Or maybe their location hadn’t been disclosed to the others…

Nothing really made sense, he thought as he settled against a tree, at a part of the forest that was far away from the city and also not too close to the river that he might get himself spotted by wild animals going for a sip of water. That hadn’t been the trail he took while going to the Capital a while ago, but it felt like a better idea to not retrace his steps. To not have to stare at the destruction he had rained upon the soldiers that had tried crossing his way. The memory of Cerys’s death still too fresh in his mind, its impact not as strong as on the other kids’, but making him rethink about the nature of life and his own powers all the same

He had killed to get there, a mere detail he had kept away from his liege and her friends and was rather thankful he had done so after what occurred. Whereas at the time it had been thoughtless, just the acts of a vassal trying to clear a path to get to the princess he had sworn to protect, now he understood he had taken someone else’s partner, parent, lover. Everyone was someone important to another person. Although he didn’t regret his actions, he would certainly be more careful about them after watching the utter destruction death caused and left behind, its cruel legacy to the living.

His walk had been almost mindless, brooding thoughts taking over his body so he stumbled more often than he should on tree roots and small, dead animals. Maybe if Hubert had been more rooted in realty he would have noticed a crow circling overhead for the longest time, as if following his every movement. Or perching in trees near him until he leaned against that one and closed his eyes, deeming himself safe after casting a protective magic circle around him.

The bird waited a few seconds to make sure he was sound asleep before propelling itself up and soaring, its obsidian feathers glistening under the pale, waxing moonlight. It went over emerald treetops, above and in the opposite direction from silvery river waters running down from the forest, through Enbarr and towards the sea. Going faster and faster to answer the call it had received, one that had hailed from somewhere on the other side of that river, not so far from the Palace itself.

At last it spotted a nimbus of copper hair and caramel irises shining in the night, fixed intently upon it, an arm already outstretched for it to land. It did so a few seconds later, careful to not graze the mage’s exposed, pale skin with its long claws. It turned, fixed dark eyes upon the woman’s waiting gaze and let all it had seen flow into her open mind, the wordless, still communication between them as fluid as it has ever been.

They had been doing it for years, after all. She always kept specific animals under her beck and call, until they perished and she had to substitute them – always a sad prospect, given the bond they’d develop. The power she once shunned, had never asked for, becoming more and more useful, more a source of solace than the actual curse she’d thought it to be.

“Thank you.” Aradia whispered at last, then upended her arm so the crow could leave. Not that they needed words or such gestures, but it did feel like a proper thing to do, regardless.

She sighed, going over the images she had just received of the young mage, sleeping in the forest not too far away from her, making his way back to the palace. And to the side of said place… the one who had scheduled a meeting with her. A stolen face, framed by dark brown, almost black hair swirling in the wind, lilac eyes shining with deceit. The arrangement, something she had tried postponing until her latest animal companions turned out dead with marks of dark magic all over it. The threat, too clear to be ignored.

There was nothing else she could do but tap some more into the powers she had had no choice but to accept. The ones that had been forced into her around ten years ago, when she had been foolish and broken enough to say “yes” to a noble’s proposition. Thinking it would be just a lame excuse for a night of cheap alcohol and cheaper words while caresses were exchanged in a darkened room. Unaware that being used like that wasn’t the worst fate she could suffer, until the moment she saw herself in chains, tied by the same woman who had tried seducing her.

The pain that followed that day… and all that had been done to her, making up a book of memories too fresh for her to simply shake that warning aside and let those people be. She was tied to them, chained to them, even if she had been seen as a failure and granted her freedom. And a new life, a new, forged story, to start things again.

After all, who would go looking for her in between a band of merry thieves? And she was revered amongst them, what with her incredible powers and all the magic that none of their other mages could use. As she paced through the forest, no longer bothering to hide her approach since surely the one disguising as Lord Volkhard von Arundel had already sensed her presence, she beamed quietly at everything she had found with the Blade Breakers. Everything she couldn’t afford to lose.

“I was wondering when you would finally come.” His voice cut through the night when they saw one another, no niceties needed. There was no reason for her to be polite to one of her captors, torturers or so-called scientists, anyways.

“The boy was close. I had to wait and make sure he wouldn’t see us.” Aradia answered, nonchalant. As if that was enough of a reply and he would get nothing more by prying.

“Ah yes, there is that little matter as well. A nuisance, what with all those guards he disposed of. A capable mage, don’t you think?” Arundel said, his tone as amicable as if they were talking tea. She knew better to understand every word had a nuance, a second or third meaning underneath.

“He’s a child first.” She answered, shrugging. He was nothing to her, but even she couldn’t afford to be that careless. He wasn’t implying-

“A child, yes. Like the one I know is, ahem, ‘protecting’ my dear niece after kidnapping her. One that I have seen you act very lovingly about, all these years. What a shame if something were to happen to her, don’t you think?”

She did her best to control her face, her body language and emotions, just as she had learned to do when under their domain. Dark magic betrayed her, though, never something she had complete dominion over. It enshrouded her, making her anger at those words plain to see.

He scoffed at her reaction, something she remembered many of them doing whenever the same happened during what they called ‘practice’. Which usually consisted of her trying her best to focus and communicate with what they had named demonic beasts. Her growing and continuous failure at that punishable with pain and new cuts on her body, until she no longer felt any of them.

“How predictable. You have changed nothing throughout all those years. I am glad we are of an agreement on that, however. I am sure you will find the rest of my terms quite enjoyable, as well.” He continued, knowing he had full rein of that situation.

He had thought he would need to use brute force in order to dissuade her. Remembered how she had been tough to break at first. Maybe all those years spent back in the outside world, in contact with other people, had softened her again.

“Which are?” She inquired, already impatient, cursing herself for being put into that position again. She was sure nothing good would come out of it, no matter how he phrased that request. Whatever they called themselves, those people were up to no good and had been, for who knew how long.

“Bring me what’s rightfully mine. The princess, my niece. Or else, well… I’ll be forced to divert part of my task force to the Capital and make sure to capture not only her, but the little thief who’s been accompanying her as well. You wouldn’t want to place that dear, poor girl who has nothing to do with that in danger, do you?”

That was simple, something she should have expected. Yet just as powerful as the strongest spell she could muster with dark magic itself. Her reaction again glowing purple in the pale, chilly night while she considered that. Not that there even was anything to consider, to begin with. He would have his way, of course.

Somehow, he always did.

So when she finally nodded, then left after they shook hands and sealed the pact with magic, she was approached by her only living animal familiar aside from the crow. The wild cat jumping to her shoulder and watching tears fall down her eyes as she whispered softly: “I’m so, so sorry, little princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, that one was a ride, guys. I'm sorry xD but at the same time it was an experience to write this for sure (a sad experience, but still). Don't leave this though, it won't be all woe and bad things for now on! 
> 
> I also wanted to get some of Aradia's backstory in there as well. Her powers are indeed something different and in my mind she was like... the failed attempt before the slithers got Hapi. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading!


	13. Fallen Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea, Byleth and Edelgard are taken to Manuela's house and have several, mixed feelings about the entire setting in itself. The place brings them back memories and thoughts that aren't completely welcome, to say the least.
> 
> With the pressure of Dorothea having to perform to the director of the Mittelfrank Opera Company himself, Manuela thinks about the best way to make her open up and sing again, after being silent for such a long time.

They hadn’t known exactly what to expect when Manuela asked them to go live with her and for Dorothea to understudy her at the Mittelfrank. Although they were still mostly numb due to the tragedy that had occurred around a week ago, in the end things would have to change. All of them recognized that they couldn’t keep living a life of mindless thieving and just moping forever, Byleth trying her best to distract them with grandiose heists, Edelgard pouring her soul into learning the axe and being present for the little girl who needed their support the most.

Dorothea herself hadn’t been able to tell the passing of time, to begin with, much less to muster enough energy in order to do anything at all. No matter how many times the sun rose and set, she’d simply sit around staring at the place her mother had occupied for so long, mostly lost in good memories with her and unrooted in reality.

She barely registered the day Hubert left, or the fact that in the end of the same one she gave up and agreed with Manuela, deciding not only her fate but that of her friends. Of the two girls she had been sleeping close at the most, since she hadn’t really been able to tolerate being touched or sharing too much space with them anymore. Her withdrawal so strong, their acts of love had been going as unnoticed as their own personal crises, the ways they responded and had to adapt to that loss starkly different from her own.

Not that she was rooted in reality for enough time to even see she wasn’t the only one to suffer. Her own feelings of loss making her wish to get away from there, into the good moments only her thoughts were able to supply when they managed to get wrapped in reveries.

Her words, her agreement to Manuela’s terms, had been automatic, she pondered once Edelgard and Byleth took one of her hands each and lifted her to her feet, after properly packing their meager, dwindling belongings. Most of them were weapons, since food hadn’t been a main priority for stealing as the songstress began supplying them with it for free. Hence their own stash had been reduced to things such as pastries and candy they tried coaxing Dorothea into eat (to no avail anyways).

In any case, a portion of her mind had been screaming for her to take that offer once and for all, because it wasn’t as if she had many options to begin with and she should be grateful Manuela had even hung around after everything that had happened. It hadn’t even been her responsibility to try healing her mother, yet she had, then helped Cerys get some sort of burial (she did hear about the whole deal from Edelgard, but didn’t pay too much attention to it). She at least ought to say thank you, but her voice had pretty much been silenced by the impact of what she had witnessed, her thoughts always louder than her words, keeping her under their somewhat cruel control.

She trudged behind them, steps clumsier than usual as her mind was somewhere else again. She didn’t really care anymore if something happened to her. If she got hurt or even… ceased to be, just like her mom had. Did she need to go on living, after all that had happened so far? She had become a ghost anyways, a shadow of who she used to be. Just someone who was breathing and nothing else, at the most giving other people a cause for concern. Giving them another reason to hate her and eventually leave, as she was pretty sure they would sooner or later.

No one wanted to stay close to worthless, problematic little girls that barely spoke a word, she thought. In her mind, Manuela’s proposition would last for two or three days at the most, for nobody would want to even look at her, let alone hear her sing. Her voice had grown dead, a flower that had once tried blooming but hadn’t been able to actually reach sunlight or gather it into its petals.

She would more than likely make a fool out of herself and the songstress as well, the idea making her heart pang again. She didn’t deserve any of that. Not that chance, not that attention, not the two girls who stuck beside her and caressed her hands as they paced behind the diva of the Mittelfrank, attracting stares from those who recognized the woman and wondered yet again what she was doing with street urchins.

The sun had been about to set when they started walking, gradually making their way through paths the three of them had run along in what seemed like a lifetime ago. In those occasions, their voices had been high with merriment and laugher as they went around scaring nobles, stifling giggles if they gave chase for a short while. Their faces adorned with smug smiles while they savored sherbets, shortcakes, cookies, kebabs, different breads and everything else their sticky hands had been able to get.

It was easy for Dorothea to get to the conclusion those days had been nothing but dreams, even as her feet remembered the streets they had crossed, her eyes recalled the sights and her mouth even tasted again what they had been eating. No, reality had all been a continuum, a state of permanent dread. Her father had kicked them out. Her mother had been hurt, then slowly fought against a disease until her utter collapse. One loss after the other, nothing in between.

Now all she had to look forward to was being shunned by the grownup who would throw her concerned glances once every three seconds and the girls who made sure she didn’t fall whenever she tripped.

Her thoughts were gloomy, though her eyes had long dried and whatever sob that had once escaped her throat was silenced as well. However, her irises had yet to regain some focus and the veil of silence had to be lifted from her voice, from those around her as well. For whereas once the three girls had filled their alley with song, with laugher and banter, the last days before that accepted proposition had been spent in almost complete quiet. The quiet that Dorothea had needed to exist, that was true, as anything else would overwhelm her, but still a contrast that wasn’t lost on her.

The one adult member of their group, also the one that had been silence incarnate except for the moments when her breathing became more and more haggard, or the scant times she had woken up, had taken away their words. At least being far from the place where they had watched her die would perhaps give them a new perspective on things.

Or at least Byleth and Edelgard hoped so, their minds ever attentive to their broody friend and keen to notice whatever transformation they could see in her, no matter how small. She hadn’t responded to their words of comfort, nor had she come to sleep closer to them for the last few nights. All of those things were understandable, but that didn’t mean they weren’t concerned for her mental and physical state.

“Miss Casagranda?” The princess whispered, her other hand on the songstress’s, whereas the older thief was carrying their rather light basket on her free one. “Thank you so much for not giving up on us. On her, even more so.”

The songstress turned and looked down at her with a sad, distant smile. “I would never, little ones. And not just because she has an incredible talent, either. The least I can do is help you, after everything that happened;”

“There are many more like us in the streets, I am afraid. I did not know that was the case before.” She went on, eyes downcast as she remembered the siblings they’d shared sherbets with, when Byleth got them more than they could have asked for. “How many may lose their parents like that? It… it hurts to think about it.”

“World can be bad.” The older thief muttered, didn’t want that issue in particular to be discussed like that. Not when Dorothea still showed no signs of improvement, but was more than likely listening to everything they said. Her eyes had narrowed the slightest when Edelgard had spoken, if she had seen it correctly.

“Indeed it isn’t all fun and games, but at the same time you won’t suffer forever.” Manuela answered, caressing El’s hand in reassurance. “You’ll have a roof over your hands, a cozy bed each to sleep in and something to look forward to in the mornings, now.” Her voice was soft when she said that, unsure of how they were feeling about her proposition until then.

It wasn’t lost on her how they glanced away, lips pursed in thought. Maybe they were scared of the new, a completely common reaction even in small kids, more so when their realities had been so utterly altered by something like death. She herself didn’t know what to expect of it, though she had already put on a word with her director a few days ago in regards to Dorothea (and the possibility that two other girls would be tried out for positions in the choir, or whatever role could suit them best).

However, it would be one thing to simply grant them those jobs, then another altogether to actually take them out of the streets as well and offer them a place at her own stupidly gigantic home. She had gone with option two after little consideration, as their conditions had made her heart pang with sadness, their convoluted stories causing her to stay awake for a long while during the night, pondering about it all.

No, there was no way she was going to abandon them to their own luck like that. She had a stable source of income that was more than enough for the four of them, had always been too much for her – and led to so many nights spent in bars, drinking her time away with one noble or another until she couldn’t even remember her own name (let alone theirs). Maybe these kids would help her be more responsible, as they had been while doing their best to take care of one another. She absolutely would try investing more time studying the healing arts instead attracting a potential partner; if there was something she wished more than having a love interest or two in her life, that was to, well… be useful.

Because who would like her when she retired from the opera company, in a few years’ time since her voice had started to change again? Or her face had become so wrinkled she’d no longer play the lead roles, but be reduced to mothers, aunts or the village’s sage? No, she had to outrun her own body, give herself something else to do before those transformations could even begin to get noticed.

And that was why she was hell bent on becoming a physician, even more so after witnessing and being unable to stop Cerys’ death.

Maybe other people would feel discouraged by that, traumatized for having to stand hopeless and helpless in face of the one thing no human being would ever stave off. It had the exact opposite effect on Manuela, though. Seeing what could be, what had been due to her ignorance, made her even more passionate about saving the living, about giving them a second or third chance due to her knowledge and powers alone.

She had been studying even more fiercely for the last few days, declining some invitations from nobles she already knew would end up dumping her after having their fun, parading her in front of their friends at the most. Whenever she wasn’t in the amphitheater, with her director going through possible new plays for them to do or trying to persuade Dorothea to join her, she would hole up at home, light a few candles (she was too lazy to light up the chimney, as it would be too much to clean it afterwards), then read, take notes and quiz herself on diseases, spells and healing herbs.

It was only the beginning, she knew. New things were always being discovered when it came to health, to the human body and everything in between. New spells, other proprieties (good and bad) for herbs. There’d soon be the need for a second shelf in the room she reserved for books and was already becoming a messy library of sorts. Maybe having kids at home would help her be more organized, to schedule her days and keep things well-paced.

Even more so given how one of those children would need more than just space, but also attention, care and reassurance. One glance at Dorothea and her heart filled with sorrow, her mind fumbling with half thoughts and sentences that remained incomplete. She had never dealt with someone else’s grief before, her own experience with it brief since she had been far away when her parents succumbed to disease; she had had an important play the next day and had to almost forget her feelings in order to perform.

In the end she had buried them so, so deep that she was never able to unearth and scrutinize them better once she could be allowed to have a breakdown of sorts.

“Isn’t that the Mittelfrank?” Edelgard queried as they rounded a corner and were face to face with a plaza. The same one where she and Byleth had just seen Manuela and, to an extent, Dorothea.

“Yes. I live quite near the opera company, just two or three houses up from it.” She replied, finding the view of the closed theater gloomy, what with the lack of torches or something else that signaled a performance would be taking place. It was an echo of the girls’ moods, in a sense. Something she wished to transform one day, willing to see them as lively as they had been for the short while when she had watched the one called Byleth fighting against that boy.

“These houses are huge.” The older thief exclaimed as they scrutinized them, her judgement more than solid given how each building was the same size as the theater itself, sometimes just as wide too.

They couldn’t see everything very clearly, given how dark the streets were in that particular evening, the sun finally setting and plunging the world into silence as well. That part of the city, which had been so much more crowded when they visited it first by mistake, proved to be actually very quiet, a lot quieter than the alley they had been living in for who-knew-how-long. There were several tall posts with torches which were magically lit by workers in long, crimson capes, who actually saluted Manuela as they walked past them.

The pavement was smooth, instead of cracked as it had been in some parts of their ritzy street and others they had walked through. Enormous houses lined each side, distanced from one another by small gardens shining under torchlight and some trees that were so old and well-tended, they had actually outgrown the buildings they were separating. Their verdant, exuberant branches extending as if to touch the torches themselves.

And the houses… they couldn’t see much of their colors, but they looked stolid, robust, shining silver in a way, their roofs in nice, rich woods that seemed darker than the sky itself. Some were decorated with stained glass windows or even panels, a view they remembered from the cathedral but couldn’t make up what they depicted due to how dark it was.

In front of those buildings there was always a gate of some sorts, one that didn’t completely block the house from sight, but put iron doors in between the place and the street. A type of barrier, not enough to keep away a skilled thief, more a psychological distancing from the horrors of the world in a sense.

It was no different in Manuela’s case, Byleth realized once the songstress gently swerved to the left and took them to intricate steel gates, the grates woven in an arched fashion with flowery designs. It opened without the woman touching it, just a bit of her magic being required instead of a key, the fact that her hands glowed a blueish white before the doors swung open making even a listless Dorothea raise her gaze from the floor and her insistently heavy thoughts to register that. And her surroundings, too, something that at first was received with disdain given how posh and sophisticated, noble, snobbish it all seemed to be.

She wondered how long it would take before she was kicked out of another place she had no business entering to begin with.

“After you, young ladies.” Manuela said with a playful wink, letting go of Edelgard’s hand and waving them in, then lighting a small torch which stood to the right of those gates with a flicker of her fingers.

Due to the extra light they were able to better see the little, untended garden in front of the house, the grass overgrown around circular stone steps that led the way from the gate to the front porch. There were some vases here and there, mostly to the sides, but the flowers had long turned brown, some herbs thriving a lot more, however. Some of them they had already seen from their little heist in the pharmacy, recognizing those they had chopped, ground or burned.

No matter how numb they were given recent occurrences, there was no denying the set was grandiose, stunning as well. Everything that an actual diva deserved, an ode to her success and the fame she had gotten since joining the company. A visual reminder that she was no longer a girl who had been raised for marrying, but had made a name for herself and become more self-sufficient than what anyone had thought she ever would. Not that she didn’t want a companion, but more out of a need for love and care than to solve financial issues.

That same impression only getting stronger when they were welcomed into the manor, its wide entrance hall spotting rugs everywhere, all in purple and silver. There was a wide side table to the right, decorated by a golden, embroidered tablecloth; over which stood small, signed portraits of Manuela herself dressed as different characters in different operas she had performed in throughout the years.

In all of them she had a dazzling smile in place, yet the songstress herself remembered more than one occasion in which she had been broken hearted, unwilling to sing or stand still so others would paint her for those portraits, a ritual that the company usually undertook before each of their grand plays began.

To the left there was a nice, circular staircase made in lighter wood than the floor itself and most of the decoration in that house. The rails around it done in the same intricate, flowery pattern from the gates outside, flowing up in what looked like a delicate, airy motion. A contrast to the somewhat heavier pieces of furniture that stood around what was supposed to be a living room, but was wide enough to rival the Palace’s.

There were two ambiences in that entire place. The first one contained (slightly) smaller couches settled over a purple and silver circular rug, a marble, round table in between them. There were potted violets over it, as well as glasses, what looked like empty wine goblets and quill pens laying haphazardly around.

Further away, there were more elaborate chairs big enough for two or even three people to sit on at the same time. They were covered by embroidered cloths, again in purple (was that a thing with the songstress?) and faced a beautiful fireplace encased in ivory marble, a pristine, snow white iron grate in front of it. Its condition enough to tell them that the chimney was more than likely never used, or rarely so.

To the right of that room there was a door, probably leading to the kitchen, and beside it was the dining table, grand and rectangular, sporting more scattered papers, pens and book. It even looked like they had been given some order, piled up one over the other, but there was no mistaking the fact that, if there had been an attempt at organizing things, it had been something done completely last minute.

That thought making Edelgard cringe when she wondered how the rooms upstairs must be like, if the places downstairs were treated like that.

That feeling evaporated in a second, though, when she turned to look at her companions and saw Dorothea completely listless, her eyes glued to the spot in front of her (a wall covered with paintings, not unlike the décor she and Byleth had stumbled upon in the noble house), whereas the older thief glanced around everywhere at once as subtly as she could, taking in details and so on.

It couldn’t be that…

“Now you over there, I’ve seen that expression before and I don’t like it.” Manuela said, also catching on how the girl was taking stock of the house in such an analytic manner. “There’s no need for any of you to steal and live like that anymore. This is your home, too.”

The words, although heartfelt and sincere, fell on mostly deaf ears. Only Byleth nodded in acknowledgement, though the setting was completely alien to her. She had never lived in a house like that – the few times she and the Blade Breakers hadn’t slept in a tent, they had either occupied abandoned buildings, mostly in poor locations or ruins, devastated by some conflict or another, or stolen their way in. Never had she been in such a regal-looking place for more than a few hours, only enough time for them to wipe it clean of valuables and make their way out. The most memorable, exuberant abode she’d been too, and the last one as well, being the Enbarr Palace itself.

Funny how that particular heist had turned up, with her getting away from her family and with something more valuable than money and gems. The way her life had changed in the last few months only a small testament to all that they had gone through since that fateful night.

Thus she didn’t exactly know how to feel when surrounded by those incredible things and trinkets, but also supposed not to touch them, surreptitiously make her way out with full pockets and figure out how she would best profit from them. Her hands already clenching, mind whirring with all the possibilities as the grownup and the princess glanced at her with amused expressions in their faces.

“Byleth… you shall behave yourself, right?” Edelgard pleaded and for a moment in time they were transported back to days when everything had been a lot easier. When the younger girl had chastised her about all that robbery and how it wasn’t a good thing at all to be done.

They realized then how much they missed those days, all things considered. How it had been a while since they had just relaxed and let themselves be, enjoying each and every moment to their fullest even if their circumstances were less than ideal. Even if in their minds there had been a worry or another, all background noise deemed unimportant.

Had they known the background noise would increase to a roar loud enough to subdue everything else?

“Dunno what you’re talking about.” She shrugged, the gesture once so carefree, now tense as her muscles had yet to relax and allow her to rest some. It had been hard not to worry, to stay up all night looking after both girls in fear of losing them too. A sentiment and an action she’d shared with Hubert, for the time he had been there with them.

“Listen.” Manuela said, looking down so she and the girl could glance at one another. “I understand that you’ve been a thief your whole life and I’m not dumb enough to think a change of scenery will be what makes you not steal anymore. That’d be stupid of me and would put too much pressure on you. So all I’ll ask if that you think that everything in this house already belongs to you. There’s no reason for you to rob from yourself or your family, right?”

Even Dorothea was somewhat intrigued by that conversation and finally turned around to stare at the other girl. Her eyes registered the slightest of emotions when Byleth simply nodded, finding the argument sound. She’d never robbed one of the Blade Breakers and they had been her clan, her people. Could she say that the grownup was their family, though?

She still had her doubts, saw the way Manuela would glance at Edelgard with too much wonder, a glint in her eyes that spoke of intentions which weren’t exactly welcome. She didn’t trust her, didn’t see why the diva of a prestigious opera company would take in three grief-struck, disheveled street children like that. Not if she couldn’t profit off of them in some form.

Sure, she did remember her saying that she was interested in Dorothea’s voice and with reason. The girl had been able to sing in a very beautiful way without proper training even, something that should be recognized and cherished. The problem had arisen when she and Edelgard had gotten involved. What did the lady have in store for them?

Manuela’s sigh startled her and she noticed one moment later that her hands had instinctively wrapped themselves around her dagger, the one that was always at her belt. “I understand that you don’t trust me yet, and honestly that’s good. Believing in people before they can show you it’s ok to do so can be very dangerous. Especially for little kids like you.”

“I ain’t little.” Byleth retorted, positioning herself in front of the other two. “But yeah, don’t trust you at all.”

“That’s ok. You’ve been on your own for too long, with no adult to care for you. I… I want to try and make things better, but I’ll need you to let me help for that to work out.” She made her voice as soft as possible, heart aching at that sight. At how one kid had been made to stand guard over other two, all of them so young and so undeserving of what had happened to them.

Her chest almost squeezing too tight whenever her eyes fell over Dorothea, silent, ghost-like Dorothea, who had yet to utter a word after agreeing to her proposition and looked more vacant than there. Manuela had to wonder if she would be able to talk her into singing again, after everything she had been through. Even more so since her way to deal with it had apparently been to shut herself from the world altogether.

It was a risk she had decided to take before, but now wasn’t as sure that the outcome would be what she had envisioned. Again, she didn’t know how to deal with grief herself, how that had already altered the little girl she had heard singing so melodiously at the cathedral when they first met. In any case and regardless of what happened next, she couldn’t simply abandon those children to fate, right? When everybody else had turned a blind eye to them, as she had witnessed them do while carrying Cerys to be buried, the image still so strongly imprinted in her mind she felt a bad taste in the back of her throat due to it.

“We shall due our best, Ms. Casagranda” The little princess politely answered, again the one to deal best with words, then bowed her head in an act of deference. It was already a relief for her to be out of the streets and into a place that wasn’t so different from her own quarters, or at least a portion of the palace. She had been longing for a real bath and somewhere nice to sleep that wasn’t another human being. Felt that she had imposed on Byleth for too long already, though a part of her would miss the comfort of slumbering so close to others.

“Thank you, Edelgard. All rooms are upstairs and I’ve separated one for each of you.” They nodded, uncomfortable with the prospect of being a little apart. Then she turned to the girl with glazed over eyes and went on: “Dorothea, darling, I’ve spoken to the director about you and he’s more than thrilled to hear you sing tomorrow morning. We’ve started casting for the new play and who knows, maybe you’ll be able to be part of it too! Perform on the big stages, beside so many talented people like you. Does this sound good?”

There was no change to her stare or posture, all things considered. She nodded because that was the polite thing to do, because she didn’t want to be seen as rude or ungrateful. There she was, the diva of the Mittelfrank, saying she might have a shot at what had once been her wildest dreams.

How iconic that even those had lost their strength, their glimmering nothing more than gems that had been covered by sand, by something dark and foreboding. Something that reprimanded and let her know how stupid she had been, how many days and nights she had wasted staring at nothing and imagining a perfect life that would never come. When the one thing she wanted the most at that moment was to feel her mother’s arms around her, telling her how nice it was that she’d have an audition.

“Great then! Let’s go up and place your things in those rooms, unless you’re hungry and want to eat first?” The songstress went on, trying to change the broody mood to something lighter and nicer, but instead was answered by three small head shakes. She wanted to give up, to leave them to their own devices and stop trying to meddle, but didn’t know if that was the right thing to do. She had no previous experience raising, caring for or dealing with children to guide her. “Follow me.”

They did, falling into a line behind her in a way that was almost comical, as if she were guiding lost pups back to their mother or something. She chewed on her lower lip, wondering how to make that better and if any of her new books on death covered the topic of how the living dealt with it. She’d take a look at them later on, when the children were settled in for the night and she could have a better gander at her thoughts as well, her first impressions of the entire matter.

Upstairs, they were met by a long hallway with three doors on each side. The six rooms had always seemed an unnecessary extravaganza for Manuela, given how she barely had any visits that weren’t sharing her own bed or hardly ever had the patience to throw in a party or two. Hence they mostly went unused, although they were fully equipped and ready for someone to occupy them.

That was how the house had been, before the former owners, a family of rich merchants, had succumbed to debts and needed to put their place on sale. She had gotten it almost immediately when she announced she was going to pay all at once, the family of six children and two older parents more than eager to have her gold and get away from Enbarr, a city that had grown more and more expensive to live the greater prestige it had acquired, or the further the Emperor had tried taxing its citizens. Hence she had been left with more than she could have ever bargained for, very close to her working place and for a great price, all things considered.

Since most of her days were spent in the Mittelfrank and the cathedral when they asked for her cooperation on services, then her nights at performances and lulling some noble parties with her voice, she had barely had any time to reform the place, or add some personal touches outside of decorations. So most of the rooms were left as they had been in the time of purchase and only one had been altered to serve as her study room, the mattress removed and exchanged for a huge table, a wall covered with huge shelves that were already overflowing with books.

It was a good thing she hadn’t changed the others, though, even if sometimes she would wake up on silent, cold mornings and simply stare at them, feeling sad and empty due to the lack of sounds, of love and… life in the house as a whole. Had more than often considered moving again to a smaller place, but a proud portion of her mind would then protest at how that was an admission of failure, of her inability to make her dreams come true and to lead the flawless life she had always wanted to.

Funny how that glamour, once achieved, felt hollower and almost emptier than the years she had spent pleasing her parents, trying to embroider and learn how to cook so she would be a copious, doting wife. Almost was still the main word, but that didn't mean that she hadn't started questioning the path her life was taking recently. 

Perhaps her pretty much adopting three kids out of the blue was just the latest development in the web of reveries and queries that had taken over her mind as a whole. Or maybe she'd just been too moved by their stories to actually stop and decide to try saving them.

In any case there she was, in an unorthodox way filling the extra space in her house with three brooding children, motioning for them to take their pick when it came to the rooms in front of them. Watching as they looked wearily at one another, at least for a while, until Dorothea shrugged and got the one closest to the stairs. The thump of the door behind her final, absolute. A sound to echo the way her mind had also closed off to the world around her. 

"I hope she comes around in time for her to sing to the director tomorrow." Manuela sighed, concerned at that new development. Maybe she should have waited longer, had been more than afraid of going to the alley and finding it empty the following day. The sight of them there, still unresponsive and huddling together always a relief to her worried mind. 

"It has been too much for her." Edelgard commented on a low voice, unsure if the other girl would be able to hear them through closed doors. "She hasn't sung ever since, either. So I do not know if you will be able to coax her like that, as well."

"Yeah pretty much. Would be cool if she did sing though, and soon. She's in her head a bit too much and it's sad.", Byleth added and for once her guarded expression fell, giving away to one of worry. 

It really hadn't been easy on any of them to see their friend work through her thoughts and feelings in silence. The gist of it sometimes manifesting in her hands, thunder crackling through her fingers while her face scrunched up, emerald eyes burning in ill-suppressed anger. They'd seen her hit a torch with that magic and make it burn to ashes, then had to tend to the new cuts and scrapes the power had left on her palm. The occurrence both scaring and fascinating them at once. 

"Do you think I should talk to her? Has she responded to your words?" The songstress inquired, wondering how much the little girl was shunning the world around her. Or maybe was silently crying for help, waiting until someone reached out a hand. 

"Words not enough." The older thief shook her head, had seen Edelgard waste hours trying to talk her through things, get her to respond to both gentle, caressing sentences and harsher ones. Not that anything had made a difference after all. "Maybe music will be better."

Both woman and child turned to look at her with wide, surprised eyes. Music. Yes, it didn't take a genius to realize that Dorothea had more than just a nice voice, but an actual soft spot for songs and could react badly to them too. And although that felt like a shot in the dark and nothing more than mere conjecture, it was the best idea they had had in that long, long week. 

"I suggest you go to her with condolences, or try talking first. Then move on to something musical, it could probably scare or overwhelm her if you go about it any other way." The princess said, thoughtful. Somewhat excited, or at the very least intrigued at that prospect and how it would work. She wanted nothing more than to see her friend smile again, for the light to return to her eyes.

“Sure enough. I’ll give that a try later- or tomorrow, even. She more than likely needs some time to settle down first, get herself comfortable in a new ambience. Now, if you two want, there’s a bath in the end of the hallway -” The woman pointed to a door opened halfway, where they were able to get a peek of a big, round tub. “- and you’re more than welcome to go anywhere you want, grab some food in the kitchen and so on.

“This is my room.” Manuela pointed to a place in front of the quarters Dorothea had claimed as her own. “You can call on me whenever you need something and nowhere in here is off limits, ok? I’d tell you to be careful with knives and other stuff if you go make food, but I’ve seen that most of your luggage consists of weapons, so…”

They gave a small grin at that, not completely enjoying the joke. It was more than strange for them to be under the tutelage of a grownup again, to begin with. The house itself was too huge for comfort or brought some memories of similar settings to the girls. All in all, there was no way for them to be eased into the situation, or to just enjoy themselves so soon after all they had gone through.

“Is there anything you’d like to ask me?” The songstress said, bending her back to look at them in the eye. The sadness in the princess’s lilac eyes too stark to be disregarded, though she didn’t know the reason for that. Not that any of them had been happier the last few days.

“What shall happen to the two of us?” Edelgard herself inquired, tentative. “We know that Dorothea will sing alongside you, or something of the matter, but what about Byleth and I? We do not have her talent, at the slightest.” Though she had had the proper musical education that befit a little noble, it wasn’t her real area of expertise. She did fare somewhat well in both chanting and piano, but she knew her knowledge wouldn’t be enough to score her a job within _the_ Mittelfrank.

Manuela sighed; that had been the one thing she wished the girls wouldn’t catch on so soon. Truth be told, she didn’t really know until then, the thought of just leaving those two alone at home all day seeming not only cruel, but altogether wrong. They deserved a shot at having a better life than the one they had led on the streets just as much as Dorothea did.

They were too young to be able to perform most jobs and she didn’t trust anyone else to take them in for work as well, even more so given that one of them was an actual princess that had been taken away from the Palace. Which limited their options grandly, she had realized some days ago, when she gave the matter some thought.

Her voice was laden with uncertainty when she opened her mouth to speak, their piercing gaze letting her know she had spent too many seconds in silence already. “There are, hm, many other things in the Company that you guys can help with! It takes way more than just the actors, singers and musicians for an opera to come to life, you know? So hopefully there’ll be… something you can do.”

“Hopefully?” Byleth echoed in clear disdain, her stance protective when she stepped closer to the princess. Always the bodyguard, it seemed, though such a young one at that.

The sight made her heart squeeze in sadness as she wondered how many times she had already acted as a soldier or a guard throughout her life. “No, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of stuff for you to do in there.” She rephrased, but knew it was too late for that when their eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“We shall see, I suppose.” Edelgard said, easing her expression. “Regardless, I am grateful of your hospitality and help with everything.”

_I’ve only caused trouble and solved nothing, little one_ , Manuela’s thoughts chimed in, a mixture of self-deprecating and sad. Putting a roof over their heads and trying to distract them was the least she could do since she hadn’t been able to save Cerys. And Dorothea deserved better than to have her talent wasted away on the streets like that.

They were only kids who deserved better, deserved a chance to be away from what could hurt them, after all.

“It’s nothing. I couldn’t just leave you there anyways.” She beamed at them, but they only looked away. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to do some studying for the rest of the night and you should get settled. It’ll be a full day tomorrow, what with a new season starting at the company and so on.”

“Thanks, lady.” Byleth said, though there was something in her eyes that spoke about her holding back, not completely trusting the place where they were at. A portion of her still whispering that they weren’t completely safe there.

Manuela nodded, then watched as they glanced at one another and held hands for a second before parting and choosing a room for themselves. The princess took the one on the far end of the hallway, with Byleth claiming the one in between hers and Dorothea’s. Both unwilling to go their own ways and into the room, which was understandable since they had probably been together for the last weeks and months.

She was about to suggest that they could room together if they wanted to when Byleth sighed and rushed in, the door shutting behind her with nary a sound. Edelgard followed suit, but not before casting a last, forlorn glance around herself. Memories rushing at her again, thoughts about how her siblings were faring in the palace, what was transpiring there and what sort of news Hubert would tell her when he came to find them again.

He would have liked this new setting, she thought as she silently closed the door to her new quarters and looked around, at the big, comfortable-looking mattress which stood under the window, a small, empty shelf in front of it. The crimson rug felt plushy under her feet and the little wooden table on the left of the room looked inviting with a candle burning over it, recalling her of days long gone where she’d sit in one of those for hours on end in order to study, read and get assignments done.

It felt like a lifetime away that those things had happened, though. Almost as if another Edelgard, another princess had lived through it. All the words she had learned, the political theory she had struggled to grasp and dates she’d tried so hard to memorize all sounding stupid or meaningless after everything that she had seen in the last few weeks. Her mind still struggling to bring together the two portions of her life, so to speak.

She collapsed on the mattress, even though she had had the strongest wish to take a long bath, to get herself as clean as she could possibly get, maybe even wash away those last, long days. Her brain unwilling to make her move, the weight of everything she had gone through crushing her the moment she was finally alone. And thus she stayed there, face turned to the side so she could breathe, shoes away from the mattress due to habit alone, her eyes closing with a tiredness that hadn’t been there before, that was more emotional than physical in nature.

The only way for her to tell she had napped for a while after that was the fact that the candle had burned itself out, plunging the room in sheer darkness. The house and the streets around it were quiet and she longed for the sounds that had lulled her to sleep for so many nights, became background noise to their daily lives. Her body moved sluggishly as she adjusted to the bed that was indeed soft, under blankets that were unnecessary given how nicely warm that night was.

The last thought she had before falling asleep was how empty that mattress felt, how… uncomfortable, no matter how cozy it was. How it was lacking something, the gentle presence of other human beings who had slumbered beside her before.

It seemed that only one second had passed from Dorothea closing her eyes to rest and opening them again to a soft touch on her arm. She had half a mind to simply swat it away, open her eyes to glare at Byleth in order to let her sleep away the day if that was what she wanted to do, when she remembered everything that had happened last night. How she wasn’t in the alley that had been her home for months, but in a house.

Not a mere house, either, but that of her favorite songstress, the diva of the Mittelfrank, the one she had wanted to sing with for the longest time.

She opened her eyes slowly, was surprised by the fact that hadn’t been a dream at all. She had indeed slept again in a mattress, something she hadn’t experienced in a while, and was in a scantly-decorated room not so unlike the one she’d had when she and her mom were living with her father.

Why, if she thought a bit more she could even see the plush toys lining the top row of the shelf, out of reach until she had finished her studies for the day. The many books as well, some with stories and fables, others laden with facts she had been expected to know and learn. The table by the window and the burned down candle over it, one that she had somewhat kept messy with papers and notes she had taken throughout lessons.

Her heart beat in triple speed as she recalled those, saw in her mind’s eyes small alterations to that place and almost conjured to life the night where she had been yanked from the mattress, her mother pleading for her father to not hurt either of them-

“Hey, little bird. Good morning.”

Manuela’s voice startled her, making her flinch into a sitting position and finally realize that the grownup had probably been there for a while. She stared at those wide, soft brown eyes that spelled nothing but love for her, an expression she had more than often seen in Cerys’s green irises as well. It grounded her in that reality, somehow. She wasn’t a helpless child who was trying her best to please her father.

She was the kid who had been cast out, survived in the world and watched her mother perish, unable to do anything for the woman who had cared for her so.

Dorothea felt the sting of unshed tears come over her eyes again and she looked away, the softness of Manuela’s gaze too much for her to bear in that moment in time. She couldn’t even understand why she had been taken in like that, a useless girl like her. Why, Edelgard had been the one to aid the songstress the most, not her. She had just been there, in shock, letting her mother die.

Even then she had been a good-for-nothing, all things considered.

“Did you sleep well? It’s hard to adjust to a new place like that, but can I tell you a secret?” Manuela went on, then assumed a conspiratory air, sitting down on the bed and approaching her to whisper in her ear: “This room has the softest bed in all of them. You know how to pick them.”

She gave a small, downcast smile at that. Wanted to open her mouth and at least thank the woman for all her kindness, but nothing came. Nothing had come from the last few days, to the point where she was wondering how to communicate at all.

“I’ll have some breakfast going downstairs before we go to the theater, ok? Is there anything in particular that you’d like?”

Again, silence. The kid felt too awkward being treated like that, with so much kindness. She had done nothing to deserve that, after all, and was just being a burden to everyone else around her. She shook her head, both due to the guilt that suppressed her appetite and her unwillingness to actually make a demand like that. Even if her opinion on the matter had been asked.

“I used to be such a picky eater when I was your age, it’s good you aren’t like that.” Manuela knew it more than likely wasn’t the case, but she wanted to keep talking, wanted to see if she could reach the girl some more. Wished she could know what were her thoughts, if she was scared or in need of space instead of her ramblings. But it would have to wait, anyways. The show had to go on. “In any case, I’ll include an apple for you. My former singing teacher used to say it did wonders for the voice.”

Singing. It was visible how the issue had an impact on the young girl, even if only for a slight moment. Her emerald eyes shone with the mention of it, expression opening up in curiosity and the smallest hint of delight. A little, high-pitched sound escaped her throat, the first thing she’d uttered after sobbing herself to sleep or telling her friends to leave. Her heart fluttered a little, posture straightening.

It was the first time she looked more awake, more as if she belonged to the world of the living, as if her mother hadn’t taken her soul away the moment she was gone.

Thus Manuela almost groaned when the changes lasted nothing but a brief second and were reversed in the next, a nod the only sign she had been acknowledged. It was a start, however small. Maybe Byleth had been right when suggesting they tried helping her with music instead of words alone.

“Come with me.” The songstress smiled, slowly taking one of her hands and squeezing it. Scared at how cold and numb those fingers were, even if she had had more than enough blankets to keep warm. “We’ll boil some water for tea, chop some fruit and eat a few pastries before those two are up. Their loss, right?”

No response came from that, but Dorothea let herself be taken out of bed, then out of the room and into a house that looked a lot livelier under the morning light than it had in ominous, serious candlelight. What had seemed to be stuffy rugs were actually done in vibrant colors, the decorated metal rails were more artwork than functional, but very pretty as they descended the stairs to a living room that was even wider than before, the messy air around it making it more welcome, more personal.

And its contrast to her father’s excessive, meticulous orderliness was a welcome respite. The child was relieved by the scattered books, empty, dirty goblets, disheveled sheets here and there. It made her realize she wasn’t in her father’s house anymore, nor in a place where she would be chastised for not manifesting a crest. For chanting when she felt like it, skipping lessons to try a new song she had just heard somewhere, or sneaking out to listen to one of their noble neighbors’ piano lessons.

Her grip on Manuela’s hand lessened when she remembered those nice moments, the joy she had found in singing away her worries, making up silly songs or humming melodies she had just made up. The moment almost gone when she recalled her mother arguing with her father about making her get music lessons, given her predisposition to it, then his rebuttal that she would if she did what he wanted and behaved well. That of course meaning, as long as she turned out to have a crest.

The fact she never did resulting not only in her never having such classes, but also being denied a place at a warm home.

Her head snapped when she heard Manuela hum absentmindedly as they stepped into the airy kitchen, the sound so crystalline and beautiful that it cut through her gloomy mood and made her look at the woman in awe, for a moment wondering if she was really there, if that wasn’t a pleasant dream.

The song was unknown, but it enveloped the girl with a warmth that she hadn’t felt in a while. It lifted her, making a small smile appear at her face due to how enchanting it was. It didn’t completely break through the mist that had shrouded her heart, keeping it closed off to everything else, but somehow showed her there was something else out there, something that also called to her and used to be one of the most important parts of her life.

Before she knew it, she was standing beside the songstress, grabbing food and aiding in whatever way she could, her voice tentatively vibrating and trying to make sense of the song, humming it back so that soon the kitchen was filled with heavenly sounds. The two voices finding purchase and support within one another, Manuela going to lower notes once she was sure Dorothea had gotten the hang of the melody and could keep it up herself.

When the dining table was full of food as well as papers, Dorothea found a small smile tugging in her lips, a first in the last few days. She had gotten so lost in her own part of the song, it took her a while to notice Manuela was no longer coaching her, but offering her a base and let her soar alone. Even if it was just humming, that felt amazing and uplifting, even. As if she had been shown she had wings, wings that she had never seen before.

She wanted that to go on forever, the two of them singing together and helping each other, though she was sure she was being more of a weight to the diva than anything else. The distraction so welcome to her recently gloomy, circular trail of thoughts that the moment they both took the music to a soft end was bittersweet, unwanted albeit necessary. The bad feeling that it was over was short-lived, though, as they heard claps coming from the top of the stairs and turned around to see Edelgard and Byleth hand in hand, watching them with soft beams in their lips and eyes.

They rushed down and hugged Dorothea, one at a time, more than elated when the girl’s arms seemed to regain mobility, finally reciprocate the gesture. In the end no words had been needed, but the power of music was enough of a help to make the girl start cracking through the shield of sadness and grief that had surrounded her. They knew it wouldn’t be that easy for her to come back, nor did they want her to so soon.

“We love you, Dorothea. And we want you to know you can take your time with things. We shall always be cheering and waiting for you.” Edelgard whispered in her ear before letting her go from the gentle, warm embrace.

A part of the young singer’s brain was keen on denying that, on alerting her to how fake and cheap those words were. However, she was tired of fighting against everything, of doubting all around her. Of just lying down and watching entire days go by. So she nodded, grinned in response and simply accepted the comment.

After all, only time would tell how true that was.

Breakfast was the loveliest time they had had for a while. Dorothea wasn’t talking much, but at least nodded every now and then, smiling when Byleth deadpanned and called the princess Eldegard so many times the little girl lost her temper and snapped at her – even more so when Manuela adopted the nickname as well.

She allowed herself to be washed afterwards, reveling in the feeling of warm water hitting her body and taking away so much dirt, enjoying the care with which the songstress scrubbed and dried her, then offered a small red gown that made her look like a regal kid. At first she loathed the dress, but at closer scrutiny decided it wasn’t _that_ bad. It made her eyes shine even greener when the light hit her face like so.

Manuela had told her about the director, how he cared so much for the Art he was a sucker for aesthetics, which was half of the reason why she had been given such a piece of clothing. The other half was the story she had told about Dorothea’s past, completely hiding the fact that she had been living in the streets for quite a while. For him, she was just an unfortunate royal kid who had become an orphan, could sing amazingly well and had been living with her cousins (Byleth and Edelgard), who belonged to a poorer part of the family.

“Act as if you were the next Emperor to take the throne.” The diva said when they were approaching the theater, glad that Dorothea already looked a bit more upbeat and was trying to copy Edelgard’s posture. The other girl willingly giving her pointers on the short way to the place, correcting her gait and pace.

“Walk as if you were floating and never stomp.” The princess said, placing a hand on her shoulders and forcing them back. “Open your chest as well. I have heard this helps with singing, too.”

“So it does, little one.” Manuela agreed, smiling proudly at them holding hands, Dorothea in between them.

“You nervous?” Byleth inquired, still carefully glancing around the neighborhood and taking stock of everything. She would have a grand time getting into those houses, then seeing what type of stuff they kept inside. If it was anything like the songstress’s… It’d been tough for her to not go around raiding the place, but she’d been too tired to do anything other than fall asleep, glad to not have to keep watch for the first night in forever.

Not that her ears hadn’t been attentive to the two rooms next to hers, relieved when no sounds came from them and woke her up in the middle of the night.

“Hm… yeah I guess. It’ll be the first time I sing seriously or something.” Dorothea replied in a thoughtful way. That was a lie of sorts, though. Her heart was beating wildly at the idea of making Manuela proud, of showing the director that the diva had been right to vouchsafe for her.

The idea of failing a haunting one that made her hands shake, the motion registered by the older thief but thankfully not commented upon.

“Don’t let this get to you, little bird. Performing is more than just singing perfectly, but being in the moment and allowing your feelings – or your character’s feelings – to be translated into music and action.” The diva spoke with a grin, remembering her audition and first performance, the pointers she had gotten and tried her best to incorporate into her technique.

The girl nodded, her eyes narrowing into focus and something else entirely. Her expression lightening when Manuela’s hand went to her hair and petted it in encouragement and support.

“You will do great, I am sure. If it helps, remember all the times you have sung to us and we had to beg for you to do so.” The princess said, squeezing the hand she was holding.

“We’re with you and you’ve got this.” Byleth agreed, smiling at her too. The motion alien to her face, given how much she had been scowling for the last week or so. It felt different to sense her expression opening instead of contracting and closing up.

“Thanks.” Dorothea glanced down, overwhelmed by genuine gratitude, something she hadn’t really experienced in a while. “And thank you, Ms. Casagranda.” She added, turning to face the woman, unsure of how to put into words what she was feeling.

“Manuela is fine, dears. And you don’t have to thank me. It would be a waste to let so much talent go unnoticed. I have a feeling you belong on the stage, Dorothea.” The woman said, heart swollen with joy at seeing the small changes in all of the girls. How they were starting to get out of their shells, in a sense.

Her mind wondering if she was actually doing the right thing, offering them to the crazy world of the Opera and all that it entailed, good and bad.

There was no more time to think about it when they got into the theater, passing through the grand columns that surrounded the main entrance. There was a guard outside that bowed and tipped his hat when he saw the grownup, then unlocked the grand wooden door and waved them in with a flourish, not even noticing the three kids that followed her. A behavior that soon enough they would notice was common, as most things (or people) seemed to disappear when standing close to Manuela.

They skipped the opulent entrance hall, the kids staring wide-eyed at everything from the white marbled floor which was decorated with silver designs, to the vaulted ceiling and more columns around the interior itself. Soon that was left behind, their steps echoing in the darkened place since the windows were heavily draped and shut, until finally they saw themselves in the main theater itself.

Rows and rows of chairs separated them from the stage itself, positioned in a semi-circular fashion around it. There were steps around the chairs, which they did climb down as soon as the kids had had a good moment to get used to that setting. They were new to it, so the aura of grandeur took them aback – even more so when they noticed there were more chairs on the second floor, in small, circular boxes of their own. Everything made in crimson, shining velvet, from the chairs to the carpet itself, a nice complement to Thea’s gown.

“Ah, I see that you have brought the girl that has fascinated you so.”

The voice surprised them, made the four search for a few seconds until they found a small, comically-dressed man sitting down at the front row, torso twisted around so he could glance at them. His caramel eyes were wide as he took them in, examining them one by one, yet focused mostly on Dorothea. His white hair was restricted to a few spots on the sides of his egg-shaped head. Red-rimmed glasses perched precariously on his nose, more for effect than actual seeing since his eyes were mostly uncovered by it. He wore a deep purple vest that covered his entire body, a silken white shirt and pants underneath.

He cut quite a figure in that setting, seeming at the same time to belong in it and be even more extravagant than anything they would ever perform. That was Stephan B. Aureus (no one knew what the B. stood for, though), the famous, incredible tenor that had retired and become the head of the Mittelfrank. The one who had discovered Manuela in one of the parties her parents had thrown in order for her to meet a bachelor and get married.

Also the one to rescue her from that environment, in a sense, and welcome her with open arms in the company itself. The place that had become her home so many years ago, but she was considering to leave as more and more things called to her. She would forever be thankful to the man, though, as he had been the one to broaden her world to begin with, to give her a chance when she had nothing more than a future set in stone in front of her. One she had loathed and had no say in.

She could only hope he would be kind enough to do the same to her Dorothea, still allow her to stay there and coach the girl until she was able to stand on her own. To soar on her own, as she had briefly done that morning while they hummed together.

“I have, yes.” Manuela answered with a small smile, hand protectively curling on the little girl’s back. “This is Dorothea Arnault, the poor noble who was orphaned and has more than just a talent for singing.”

The man got up and beckoned them close, to which they complied, followed by the other two girls even though they didn’t know exactly what to do. Byleth was on edge as always, ready to step in between them and protect the others if such a thing was needed. Edelgard wondered if that was where her uncle had planned to take her, if he hadn’t changed so abruptly and become a complete stranger to her. It felt like a dream that she had finally stepped foot into the Mittelfrank, even if it had been in different, strange circumstances.

“For someone so young to get the attention and such praises from our most precious treasure and diva herself…” The man said once they were almost face to face. “You must really be something, hm?”

Dorothea’s hands were positioned behind her back, yet her stance was relaxed and a part of her eerily welcomed that attention, somehow. She didn’t know if it was the way he looked at her or the small praise that was bestowed on her so soon, even before she had uttered a note, but her mind responded to it in a rather excited way.

She found herself beaming, wanting more of that. Wanting that from as many people as possible, as a form to overcome the sadness, the loneliness, the piercing, vast and scary emptiness that had taken her over for so many months. There were still tears hidden behind her eyes, but it was easy for her to adapt to the situation, to mold herself to what the director more than likely wanted to see.

And that was a prodigy, a child that had come out of nowhere and could offer a breath of fresh air to the Mittelfrank. Someone with a voice that was straight from the heavens, so to speak.

So when he took her to the stage and told her to stand there alone, making her three companions sit in the audience and stay put, then asked her to sing whatever she felt like at the moment, she immersed herself fully into the role while also deciding to honor the side of herself that still suffered. That probably would always do so.

The hymn she had heard at the church the other day, the one that was directed at the spirits of the departed and was meant to appease them, erupted from her throat with such passion, strength and melodious, ululating perfection that there was no way Mr. Aureus, Manuela, Edelgard and Byleth could disagree she was indeed a fallen angel mourning the paradise, the home she had left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three musketeers have a home now! Or do they? Will Byleth just get everything, then the other girls, and simply leave? xD  
> Pretty much a sad chapter still, but in any case, sadness and grief must be honored right?   
> And Dorothea starting at the Mittelfrank as well, that'll be something for sure.
> 
> Well, I hope you have enjoyed and thank you for reading!


	14. Rioting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard and Byleth have some trouble adjusting to life at the Mittelfrank, whereas Dorothea is more than happy with all the attention and coaching she has been getting as of recent.
> 
> A particularly tough day has Byleth offering an unconventional, albeit good solution to their issues.

Hardly a day was spent idle when one was making sure a production would get off the paper and into the stage. Manuela hadn’t been lying when she told the girls a lot more than just good singers and musicians were necessary for a play to come to life.

Dorothea had indeed been accepted into the company pretty much right after she finished singing the hymn. The director wasted no time announcing she was starting that day, then turned to glance at the two other girls, who were busy watching their friend in awe. The smallest of them had tears in her eyes, her posture and words also screaming she was more than likely a noble. The oldest one, with disheveled hair and attentive eyes was probably a little rascal, though it was visible that she meant well – and would, he hoped, not prove to be an issue to his business at all.

He had no further experience with children, same as Manuela, unless one counted the noble kids that went to the Opera alongside their parents, or the one or two child prodigies whom he had coached throughout his life (Dorothea being, then, number three). However, that was everything he knew. He was a bit against hiring those other two for labor, whatever that would be like, but understood the position his favorite diva was in. It wouldn’t be nice to leave the so-called cousins at home, doing nothing, when they could at least be helpful with small things.

At first they were tried out for singing, even if everyone (even the kids themselves) had a vague notion it wouldn’t actually be their thing. They were right, though Edelgard did have a lovely voice and would probably become a good singer if extensively coached, but there wouldn’t be time for that, nor people available to give her private classes. Byleth’s audition had probably been the fastest one in the planet, as all she had to do was attempt to sing two notes before she was told to stop, do herself a favor and _not_ waste her own time trying a career in the Arts.

The oldest thief had pouted at that remark, then glanced at the floor and remained downcast for the rest of the day. Even as the princess hugged her as much as she could and told her how amazing she was in fighting, weapons and even magic. Dorothea, who had been enraptured with the praise and attention she was receiving not only from Mr. Aureus, but from all the other actors and singers from the company, simply rolled her eyes and shrugged, then told Byleth it was ok to not be good at everything.

At the end they were given… well, one couldn’t really call them proper jobs, as it wasn’t really fitting that a princess and a thief would be put to work like that. They weren’t exactly unhappy with it, either, as mostly it was overwhelming to think on how much their lives had changed on the course of one week (Cerys’s passing, Manuela granting them a place in her house and also work). But in any case, it wasn’t as if they didn’t sometimes whine about it either.

“Do we really have to go there every single day? Those costumes look good enough for me, thank you very much.” Edelgard had said in that particular morning, after grimacing at the sight of her hands. There were so many wounds forming there already, from the gazillion times she had been distracted or gauged the fabric thicker than it actually was, then pierced herself with a needle.

She had been given the task of supervising costumes and overall clothes the actors and singers wore not only to performances, but to practice too. If someone tore a shirt or pants during rehearsals, it was her job to get it fixed as fast as she could, for those things were too insignificant for their resident seamstress to waste her precious time on and didn’t require that much skill. As a noble child, she had learned the art of sewing and even embroidering; as a princess, she hadn’t been expected to make too much use of those, thus her lessons were very superficial and more to fulfill a social expectation of sorts than to actually teach her how to do those.

What was worse, she hadn’t practiced it in years. To say she was rusty would be an understatement, the seamstress alternating between glaring and yelling at her whenever she made a blatant mistake or shaking her head in wonder as she yelped in pain from skewering herself.

The middle-aged woman, whose name was Taylor von Varley, walked slower than a snail and had a very bent back, curly, snow-white hair that fell to her waist in uneven ringlets, grey eyes which always exuded anger at the world around her and a constant scowl on her lined face. For the children, and more so for Edelgard, she soon became the personification of grumpy old age and all bad things that grownups (and the elderly) were prone to do. Why, just the other day she had made her way to the director, who had been standing in front of a packed stage while lining up actors, and bellowed at him to give her a better assistant or none at all.

The insults she threw Edelgard’s way had made her grow crimson and tearful, especially since she had been having a very stressful day due to all the little remarks, critiques and scathing words Taylor had already yelled at her before. That almost caused a scene when Byleth left her post, face screwed in the angriest frown they had ever seen her bear, hands touching the dagger on her belt. Luckily the princess had seen her advance on the seamstress and stopped her, tears completely unshed and forgotten, asking for a hug and saying that it was ok, it wasn’t the woman’s fault she was indeed unskilled in sewing.

Though everyone agreed Grandma Varley (as some tried affectionately calling her) should be nicer about it, since it was a child they were talking about – a noble one, Stephen suspected – but it wasn’t as if they could say too much to Taylor. The woman was a genius and the only seamstress they had. In the end the director had said he would think about it and give Edelgard a warning, only to pull her aside and place some money on her hand, saying she and Byleth should go out for a sherbet as a treat.

That had been more than a welcome respite, one that Manuela would have suggested them to take if Stephen hadn’t been faster. It hurt her to see the princess having such a tough time. On the other hand, Byleth simply shrugged off whenever someone yelled at her and yes, kept stealing things as much as she could. Then there was Dorothea, blossoming under the attention and care that she found at the Mittelfrank, forever excited with her daily training and the way the cast pampered her after they heard her tragic (though partially incorrect) story.

She had been showered with gifts from the moment Mr. Aureus introduced her to the musicians, singers and actors who had gathered around the stage as she sang to him for the first time. Those men and women who had made their lives in the company were more than eager to welcome her, to see her as a child prodigy who had found Manuela at the most opportune time. As a sign from the Goddess herself that the show not only must go on, but that it would do so. She was hugged, offered condolences for her mother’s recent death and her becoming an orphan, then given dresses, bows for her hair, earrings, necklaces, rings, sweets, books, beautiful quill pens… everything they thought a little girl could use and would need in her time of grief.

As a result, they had had a grand time going home at that first evening, carrying so many things in between the four of them. Byleth had been walking strangely, as if she had even more to take than everybody else, which later they discovered was actually the case because she had stolen some jewelry from the actors in that same day. Manuela had had a field trip wondering what to do, then threatening the little thief to put them back the following day or else. The warning falling on deaf ears until the diva said she would make sure she would be kept at home until she learned to behave, or as far away from her two friends as possible.

Adapting to those settings had been very hard for Byleth. She _had_ indeed told herself she wouldn’t do anything bad, wouldn’t be spiteful to Manuela or never come to trust her, especially after two weeks or so had passed and still no guard had shown up at their place, or at the Mittelfrank as well, the city just as devoid of them and somewhat thrown into chaos as before. That didn’t mean she was able to keep old habits in check, no matter how hard she tried.

Every day the diva would wake up to find something else was missing from her house. It started with small things, like a trinket on the glass cupboard by the living room, or one of her favorite books which had been lying open on the table, couch or chair. Then some kitchen utensils she had been given by nobles, such as golden spoons and knives encrusted with jewels.

And each day she would ask for those things back, was regarded first with an empty, inquisitive stare that spelled “I don’t know what you’re talking about” until either Edelgard rebuked Byleth for it, or she gave in and shrugged, smiled sheepishly and returned said object (or objects) before darting away in fear of punishment. It had become such a normal, daily occurrence in between them, that it was almost a sport of sorts. The little thief waiting for the day she wouldn’t be noticed – or maybe praised by her efforts, too.

The epitome of it all had happened in that morning. Manuela had woken up late after a night spent scouring one of the latest books she had acquired on diseases and death. She had even dreamed about what she was studying, to say the least, and if she hadn’t been scared awake by children succumbing to respiratory illnesses in that nightmare, they would have been late. Hence she had to rush through her morning routine of applying makeup, making sure her hair was doable and having breakfast – only hers, since the three kids were waiting for her downstairs already, Dorothea humming a solo she and Manuela had been going through, while Byleth danced with Edelgard. 

They were out of the door half an hour after the songstress woke up and raced their way to the Mittelfrank, with Byleth easily snatching the win. Throughout the darting around, going backstage for preparations and having to hear Stephen’s overall directions, a must before they could even get to work, she noticed there was something missing, something huge even, but in any case she had been too harried and distracted to actually be able to pinpoint what that was.

It was way past midday already and the answer to that question had yet to come up for her. She and Dorothea were on one of the smaller stages as always, the place where the woman tried applying her scant knowledge of the piano to coach her little student through melody and singing technique. It was an almost exact replica of the main amphitheater they used for the big plays, except there were fewer places to sit and instead of crimson, everything was decorated in cheaper-looking, light blue velvet. The ceiling was also lower and the stage itself was not as grand, or as raised, whereas the space for the orchestra in front of it was narrower, the piano battered and old (but luckily not off key or anything like that – instruments were always cherished in the Mittelfrank).

Not that any of that mattered. It had become their theater, in a sense. The location in which they would start their mornings and stay there until midafternoon, when they were required to join the others and go through script and specific scenes or songs Stephen wanted to run with the musicians themselves.

In that particular morning the piano wasn’t being put to use, though, as Manuela was focusing on breathing exercises, teaching Dorothea how to sustain her notes better both when she climbed too high or went too low. The two cases required the same technique to be explored, in a way, though frankly a singer’s capacity for flow and sound control would more than often help a lot whatever the song called for.

And it was something the little girl was having a bit of trouble keeping up with, as expanding her diaphragm for chanting and keeping it like that so as to slowly let go of air during the progression of the music was never something she had done before.

“Again, in through your nose, let your belly grow and keep it like that. Hold it for a while, then let the air get out of your lungs as slow as you can.” The grownup explained, watched the kid’s face get scrunched up in a mixture of boredom and anger.

It was clear that the girl was losing focus, her eyes sweeping around the quiet, empty theater and the piano right in front of them. They always did all of their training on the stage, as Manuela wanted her to get used to the sensation of being up there and having an audience from the start. Although she had a feeling this would not be a problem, if the way she could always be found singing to fellow musicians and actors when prompted was an indication, one could never be too sure or too careful. The last thing she wanted was for the child to get too shy or nervous the day of her first performance.

“C’mon, little bird. I know this doesn’t sound like the best thing ever but you have to master this first. You’ll see how much easier it’ll be to sing once you do.” The diva said again, as her instructions remained unfollowed.

She had watched that happen more than once, though luckily it was getting less and less frequent for Dorothea to act up when they were training. It had been a lot worse on the first few days, when the child had expected lessons with _the_ Manuela Casagranda would equate to them singing together all the time – only to find out she had to learn how to breathe, to straighten her posture and have her weight well-grounded on the floor in order to become a singer herself. Steps that, in her opinion, were completely irrelevant (though she had to agree she had been getting more and more appraising looks from the rest of the cast when they went on to rehearse their parts in the afternoon and early evening, so maybe those hints really were good for something).

“Can’t we try our duet again, Manuela? Pleeeeease…” She drowned out the last word, made her best puppy dog eyes and tried channeling a sad face.

The songstress smirked at that, then ruffled her glistening, cascading chestnut hair. Marveled at how much cleaner, shinier and darker it was getting at every single day, due to them washing it a lot more often and all the little things she had taught the young girl about hair care. She was looking a lot more like the orphaned noble kid she was supposed to be, her skin glimmering, no longer grimy or covered by tear stains. Her hair was no longer a mess, but composed of beautiful curls that were combed each and every day.

Her emerald eyes had regained some of their sheen, not enough to fully disperse the dull haziness which had settled over it after her mom departed, as those thoughts still plagued her mind by day and her dreams by night. It sometimes manifested into her singing as well, giving extra weight and meaning to the sad lyrics her character, the youngest daughter to a mad king, was supposed to intone. The best part being how she was admired by the depth she already seemed to give to the play, even though she was that young.

Something that others admired and indeed, it was an extraordinary feat. Nevertheless, it didn’t fail to make the diva, Byleth and Edelgard feel a pang in their chests knowing where that intensity came from.

“We’ll have all evening to get to it. Buuuuut if you do this one thing really well we can maybe have a head start.” Manuela winked, knew she had her when her face opened for the smallest of seconds.

Then closed again when she focused and did as asked, trying to not inflate her cheeks or bring her tummy inside as she inhaled, the way she had done so many times before. She knew she was being successful since the woman nodded and she started feeling light-headed at the effort of breathing in so much more air than usual. Then holding it in for five counts before letting go without it all leaving her body in a single huff. She had done these little mistakes a bit too much, no matter how many times Manuela corrected her.

But then, that was boring work and easy for a child to get distracted while doing. Not this time, though. This time, the diva smiled as wide as she could when the exercise was completed in a correct way, a first for such a long time.

“That’s perfect! Yes, exactly like that. Ok, again, please.” She said with a grin, stood in front of the girl and placed both hands to her own hips. Watched as her face fell and couldn’t help but chuckle at the indignation she saw there.

“But you said we’d sing the duet if I did this!” Dorothea exploded, frustrated. Breathing like that wasn’t only useless, it was painful and made her dizzy at times. Surely she wouldn’t need to do all that while chanting, right? Nobody could utter a note while being so disoriented.

“That’s true, but I never said how many times you’d have to. Also, you finally got this right so we have to make sure you don’t forget the technique. C’mon now, one, two and…”

She waited, biting her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at the angry faces the girl who had been too sad to react to things beforehand was doing. Dorothea looked too sweet, that mad at being tricked in a way, then sighed, rolled her eyes and was about to draw a very long breath when the door to the small theater was pushed open.

That sound alone was enough to draw their attention at once – it wasn’t usual for them to get interrupted in the middle of lessons. Everyone was already up to their eyes at work, even if the actual premiere was around two months away. The children, being new to that life, didn’t understand how time moved fast when one was staging a play in the way they were.

“Miss Casagranda? Mister Aureus wants you and Dorothea back in the main stage for now. Some of the musicians have arrived earlier and he decided to have a small run in, since they have encountered some kind of trouble playing your duet.” Edelgard said, her face contrite and somewhat sad. It wasn’t lost on anyone how her demeanor had changed in the little time they had been there; how it seemed that she would rather be back on the streets than having to be subjected to a woman such as Mrs. von Varley.

“Oh thanks, dear. Yeah, they were a bit off yesterday, don’t you think?” She inquired, turning to see how relieved Thea looked at the prospect of not having to do any more of those exercises, even if it would be only for a little while.

“A bit. Something about the flow of it.” Dorothea shrugged; she had been getting some music lessons from the harpist, who was teaching her how to read music sheet and even play a bit. Not that they had that much time in between singing lessons and rehearsals, but whenever they were out for a break or two that was often where the girl could be found. “Least that means we’ll get to sing.”

“And we’ll be back to breathing afterwards.” Manuela reminded her as they left the stage, hand in hand, and sauntered upstairs to meet with the princess at the door. “Though it would be nice if you remembered to try doing this as we sing.”

“I almost faint when I breathe too much, how can I sing like that?” She exploded, well-aware that Edelgard was glancing curiously at her.

That question was answered by a snort and a head shake. After that there was silence, as they walked through a dimly lit hallway, one that joined the two theaters together and was off limits to the people who went there to watch plays, since the smaller one had its own doors, located at the sides of the stage. Hence that hallway was mostly there for the staff and was very unkempt, with just two or three torches at each side of the corridor that remained unlit. After all, the place was barely put to use – and performers had long ago learned to make their way through it in the darkness.

The same couldn’t be said of those girls, however, so when Edelgard gave a yelp of surprise and that sound was followed by a particularly loud thud, Manuela shook her head in exasperation and remembered that neither of them had been there for too long, that she should have been wiser and guided the princess, like she was doing with Dorothea.

She opened her palm and a sphere of white, blueish light rose from her hand, dimly illuminating the place. Thea started laughing at seeing the other girl sprawled on the floor too close to the wall, as she probably had collapsed against it and then fell forward. The adult was about to follow suit and chuckle when she heard a distinct sob escape from the noble kid.

“Oh pfff, you’re not going to cry because of that, are you?” Dorothea inquired, rolling her eyes heavenwards.

The comment was perhaps the tipping point, the one that made Edelgard really start weeping and refuse to move. Manuela cast Dorothea an assessing glance and, upon finding her demeanor a bit unreceptive to the other girl, decided they would have a talk later. She had feared that could happen, given how many losses the kid had gone through. But that didn’t mean she had a pass to act that dismissive toward others.

“You can go on if you want, I’ll make sure she’s ok.” She said, already taking a step towards the princess.

“She’ll be fine in a second, we need to go or else Mr. Aureus-“ The brunette argued, her eyes widening in concern. She couldn’t waste a moment like that, a moment in which she would be able to shine the brightest if only she could…

“He’ll understand. He knows our dear friend has been having a rough time here. Haven’t you, Eldegard?” Manuela crooned, kneeled and placed a gentle hand on her arm. Used Byleth’s accursed nickname for her to see if she could get a different reaction from the girl.

The woman’s attempt was futile, though, as the girl simply shook her head and straightened herself, so she was lying against the wall but still unable to get up. Her red-rimmed eyes shone under the white light emanating from the grownup’s other palm, making her tears look like paths of crystalline radiance traveling down her cheeks.

The thing was, the princess wanted out. Granted, they hadn’t been in there for longer than three hours or so, but that already wasn’t being her day. And yet… she had already been called too many names by the seamstress who seemed so invested into making her life a living hell.

That, on top of the same thing happening all over and over again for so many weeks, some days less, others way more, had her miserably trying her hardest to be better. To get her embroidering and sewing to a level that would rival the woman’s, so maybe she would no longer be criticized. To focus on nothing but the needle weaving its way through fabric, making patterns, correcting mistakes, giving form to what had once been nothing but cloth and measures. Of course she didn’t get anything complicated to do, thus she wasn’t actually confectioning the costumes, but she was the one to get final touches and repairs in. To make sure measures were made, fabric was delivered and there was enough food for Mrs. von Varley (and that her plate was cleaned afterwards, too).

And although she had done tougher, more demanding assignments as a princess, it was the person she was working with that made everything so completely unbearable. To the point that she had been in tears that morning, at the prospect of going to the Mittelfrank yet again. Cue in the fact she had ‘failed’ to make a perfect repair to completely useless pants, then forgotten to get the seamstress’s favorite mug and fill it with water, or leave the measures she had retaken over the bench so she would work on some redesigns and well… the last thing Edelgard needed was to make a fool of herself and fall like that.

It was as if everything she had been hearing from Taylor came tumbling at her without proper warning. Her unsolved anger and commitment to stay quiet since Dorothea was having the time of her life – and hadn’t been that happy for a while, either – dissolving when it seemed that her own needs weren’t being acknowledged.

If she ever felt like she had been stressed out as a little princess, having a lot to study and some tasks to complete, nothing compared to being treated like nothing better than a conscious bag of trash for two weeks straight.

“Edelgard?” A soft voice came from other end of the corridor, where they should be heading to. Byleth, who had been unable to react to those verbal assaults on the princess or risk the entire Mittelfrank being without a seamstress, had to stand still and watch as the girl she was supposed to protect went scarred by crude words. She wanted to do something, anything, and it hurt to only watch that happen.

So when the princess had taken too long with a task as simple as fetching Dorothea and Manuela, she almost instinctively knew something was wrong. Lo and behold, the little girl was sobbing, curled up on the woman’s form, then willingly letting herself be taken by the older thief when she approached and embraced her.

“Go, I’ll help her.” Byleth instructed, dismissing them with a frown. Bringing the smaller child closer to her chest, she twined her hands in her somewhat tangled, dim chestnut hair and combed it, gently undoing knots as a way to soothe.

“Are you sure you’ve got this?” The songstress asked, eyeing how Edelgard buried herself into the indigo-haired girl and seemed to grip her tightly. “I can just tell Stephen to- “

“Find her something different to work.” Those words were more a menacing growl than anything else, surprising Manuela with their intensity. She had known Byleth was fiercely protective of both younger kids, but that was something new.

Well, it had been hard to get any emotional reaction out of those numb children for a while, anyways. So it was understandable that she had yet to see more about them, their personalities and ways of dealing with the world as a whole. It had been a mistake for her to think she had got them figured out before, as she had equated them to their backgrounds instead of who they were as people. Why, that had been exactly what her parents had done before, judging people left and right based on their family name, if anything. And if there was one thing she had vowed never to do, it was to become like them.

“I will speak with him, truly.” The woman uttered, patting Edelgard’s back for a second before getting to her feet and taking Dorothea’s hand again. “We do have to get going, though. Please have some light magic going in here, or else you’ll be plunged into darkness again after we close the door.”

The older thief nodded, took one hand away from the princess’s back and summoned a fireball to her palm. It engulfed them with a soothing, ululating light, tainting the dark with soft oranges and yellows this time. Perhaps the heat or the motion itself were enough to calm down Edelgard a bit, as she stopped sobbing and just curled into Byleth, seeking for some form of comfort after all she had been going through.

“I’ll leave you to it, then. And I’m sorry this is- wait a second, is that my bracelet?”

Manuela had been about to turn around and actually go, Dorothea insistently pulling her already, when her eyes fell on one rather large object dangling from Byleth’s wrists. Then she remembered the feeling of loss, or of something missing, that she had briefly experienced when they left the house. Of course. She never went anywhere without that bracelet, which was made of solid gold and had big pieces of rubies, sapphires and emeralds encrusted into it.

It was her lucky charm, in a sense. It had always accompanied her in every audition, every special day and premiere, even if it were hidden underneath her costume or in a pocket. And although it almost felt blasphemous that she had left the house without it, it was even more appalling to wonder how the hell the thief had gotten it to begin with.

“B-Byleth?” Edelgard mumbled, her voice high-pitched, as she untangled a bit from her swiveling thoughts and caught on to what was being said. Her mind still calling herself names, repeating all she had been hearing so far about her work. About how useless she was and that as a child, Taylor herself had made her first regal dress, then was invited to fit the Imperial consorts for a while. Why, even when pregnant with the one who was now Count von Varley, she had never stopped working and making a name for herself. 

“Shh, nothing to worry about.” The older girl said in a gentle voice, but scowled at the songstress since in the end she had been found out. In a moment where her getting scolded for it, like the other times around, would just mean they would run the risk of overwhelming the princess.

The evil glare she shot at Manuela, followed by another one aimed at the little girl in her arms, was enough to get the message across. Hence the adult simply sighed at that, at having to yet again make a speech about how she shouldn’t actually steal like that, and shook her head.

“We’ll talk later, but please do take this off. It means a lot to me and I’d rather you didn’t lose it.” The songstress uttered, then finally turned around to go on. “Come, Thea darling, they need some time alone I think.”

“Sure. And hm, sorry for everything.” Dorothea uttered, though her tone was a lot lighter than it should be if she were actually feeling bad about the situation. Which meant Manuela would also have to talk to her as well since… none of that could go on.

Screw that, she thought. She might as well call them to the living room that night and get things solved, as much as she could.

The two kids stayed in silence until they heard the door close behind the singers. Then, and only then, did Edelgard feel comfortable enough to edge a bit away from Byleth and glance at her stoic, grounding blue eyes. To let the sadness that had taken over her ebb away again, in the form of new tears.

“I do not wish to come here anymore.” She mumbled, somewhat ashamed of that display of weakness, but sure that she wouldn’t be judged. The certainty proving itself correct when a hand caressed her back and she found herself relaxing against it, realizing just them how much she had missed such a humane contact.

“Heard you last night in your room.” Byleth whispered, trying her best to think about each word she wanted to say, unwilling to make her feel more self-conscious about everything, yet knowing that had to come up sooner or later. “And the night before. And the night before. You get it.” She shrugged at the end, letting her gaze soften as wide, surprised lilac eyes meet them. “I wanted to go to you, but didn’t know if you needed to talk or to stay quiet.”

Edelgard sobbed again, the revelation and those words of care touching something deep within her heart. Ever since they had started working at that wretched place, the same that bought Dorothea closer to her dream, then gave Byleth something (or somethings) to do as a jack-of-all-trades, she had felt isolated, cursed to spend her days beside a seamstress who either remained silent, or was more than keen on chastising her for no reason.

That, plus the fact that every single day she seemed to be getting worse (and not better) on sewing, had recently started to freeze and find herself unable to go on when the woman was watching her, made her completely unhappy there. It was the first time something had happened in that magnitude. No matter how much someone had coaxed her into an activity before, correcting her mistakes and helping her improve, and no matter how frustrated she had gotten at such corrections, she had always pushed through. That really wasn’t the case with Mrs. von Varley and her scathing words.

“I… wish you had gone. I miss you.” The princess confessed, blushing the slightest at her words but meaning them, too. She had stopped sobbing, yet the tears were still there, still running down her cheeks even if her chest was no longer feeling so constricted by all the thoughts running through her head.

“Sorry. Stupid place keeping us apart and all. I don’t like it.” Byleth scowled, drawing the other girl closer to her body again. She somehow felt better, more grounded, when they were close as such. Placing her chin over her head, she remembered how they used to sleep together like that, not so long ago. How she had actually missed that, even though she had used to wake up all night since Edelgard tended to move a bit in her sleep.

“Me, too. I… This means a lot to Dorothea but… I cannot do this anymore. My hands hurt.” After uttering that, her voice nothing more than an anguished gust of wind against a tempest, she lifted her hand and showed the various pinpoint scars that covered it, some actually in the form of gashes since the needle had torn through more skin than just in a single point. “My shoulders hurt from too much hunching – no wonder her back is bent in such a manner. And my head aches all the time from her constant yelling and name-calling. Am I really that bad, Byleth? That worthless?”

“Nuh uh.” The older thief turned to look down at her, shaking her head. “She’s sour. She doesn’t deserve you. This place don’t deserve us.” She went on caressing her back, more than glad when she noticed the girl was starting to relax. “We stick together no matter what, ok?”

“O-ok. Please.” She added, holding into the older girl as if for dear life. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

If Byleth had needed to hear a plea for help, something else to remind her of her duty to protect and keep that little girl safe, then that completely did it. A new resolve took over her body and she got both her and Edelgard to their feet. That caused the princess to pull away, surprised at it since the one thing she had wanted was to sit like that for a lot longer and forget the world around them, but her eyes widened when she glanced at the other girl. Her cornflower blue irises were focused, somewhat angry too.

“You’re too sad here and I don’t like it.” Byleth whispered, gently wiping away her tears with a thumb. “You know what? Let’s ditch.”

El grabbed her hand when the older kid started walking away, tried in vain to restrain her. “W-wait, we cannot just go away in that manner, not in the middle of a work day, no less. We have arrived late as well, may I remind you, and that already put me in trouble with Mrs. von Var-”

“Pffff, Mrs. Bended Needle can do that sewing alone. And all I’m doing is passing messages and holding stuff for others to paint. That’s stupid.” She crossed her arms and pouted, the look so sweet it made Edelgard stop and stare for a second. “We ain’t needed. Thea is and for a reason, she belongs here. But I’m a thief. I miss my training, the running.”

The smaller girl nodded, looking sad again due to sympathy instead of self-pity. In all of her lamenting she hadn’t stopped to consider how the other girl could be feeling, a mistake she mentally kicked herself for. The three of them had been subjected to a great change in their routines, though only one had found it advantageous. The fact that they were suffering, each in their own way, wasn’t fair at all, was it?

“I am sorry.” Edelgard stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her forearm, squeezing the slightest, the way she had seen Manuela do whenever Dorothea got upset. “Indeed, she is the only one who belongs here and yes, I do understand that they are trying to aid us in some way, but…”

“That aren’t us. We’re extra here. Wasting our freaking times too and making you work for nothing.” Byleth ranted, fully mad then. A second later she started pacing up and down the hallway, fireball in hands, so light followed her path in a rather comical way – if they weren’t both angry and sad at that to begin with.

“Mhm. Is there something we can do about it, however? We cannot be a burden to Miss Casagranda or cause them any trouble. Making a play is already too hard without us being childish about the entire thing. Or about our roles in it” The noble pondered, forlorn as she didn’t come to a solution by herself. She had been giving it all some thought before, in the dead of the night, while sleep eluded her and she dreaded the next day to come.

“We riot. We say we’ll go away and never come back.” She turned to face her charge and her irises were burning; she was dead serious about it and Edelgard knew she would do something like that if they antagonized her for long.

“B-but we have a house to come back to now! And Dorothea, we cannot just leave her like that…” Her voice faltered as she heard her meek arguments, how they failed to convince even her to begin with.

No one said they had to stay with the little singer, or that they were supposed to be together forever. She and Byleth had started that journey by themselves and then just happened to stumble into the other girl. They had been in each other’s company for a while now, so at times it was hard to remember how it had all begun. Hell, how long had it been since she was out of the palace? She had never thought things would be like that. That she would have to steer away from home for so many days, since her uncle still happened to be there for all that she knew.

Home… the word felt distant, unfamiliar. At least it did if she tried equating it to the castle where she had spent the first eight years of her life, playing and learning alongside her siblings and a loving father. Yes, that place had become just that, a building. One she should avoid, or else she could get hurt and all would have been for naught. Home now was a notion that one day had been known to her, easily explained and shown.

She had no idea what that meant anymore, her uncertainty plain to see in how she averted her eyes from the older thief as she attempted to argue with her.

“I dunno, Eldegard.” The nickname was used as a way to soothe her, though they were talking about something serious. Byleth hated seeing her so lost in thoughts, so desperate to say the least. Unrooted was a better word, perhaps. “Let’s try make them realize we need something more. If that don’t work…”

“One step at a time.” The princess said, held a hand up in an appeasing gesture. More so because she wished she wouldn’t have to think about the rest of that sentence. “We should talk to them, surely. Then we shall see what to do.”

There was silence when Byleth scrutinized her with a thoughtful expression. Then she gasped in surprise when a hand took hold of her wrist and softly pushed her forward, followed by a far afield voice saying: “Nah. We act, then explain. Adults don’t listen to kids until they do something.”

Edelgard wanted to protest, to say they should attempt to reason with the grownups first. Yet it was impossible to deny there was some truth in there as well. She recalled all the times her siblings, both older and younger, had tried making their tutors listen when they were too tired or sick to do what was being requested of them. Only for the adults to disregard their claims, until of course one of them collapsed or fell ill.

Then there was damned Mrs. von Varley and the way she had been treating the princess, turning a blind eye whenever she asked for help or said she was too tired, in too much pain, to endure doing something more. No, the time for speaking was long gone. If they didn’t act, they would be consumed without anyone batting an eye.

“I am afraid you are right, to an extent.” She admitted, calmer than she had been in days. The prospect of not being subjected to a new volley of insults as the day went by more tempting than anything else. “I cannot stand this place any longer. Please, take me away from here.”

Byleth turned to her and smiled, happy to see there were no more tears falling from her eyes, nor sadness veiling them as it had been for the last few days. The hopeful sheen which slowly replaced that mirrored in her own. She curtsied, lower and more dramatic than she should, then uttered: “Your wish is an order, my princess.”

It actually took a very long time for their absence to be noted, all things considered. The company members were too busy rehearsing, going through holes in the music and places where the flow was unwell or truncated, especially in Manuela’s and Dorothea’s duet. The director ran everywhere, making sure actors were going through their lines backstage and had any questions about their characters; the orchestra was rehearsing solos, the scenario guys were working on these and on props as well. It was almost evening when he was finally able to get to check on the seamstress and…

Well, the seamstress was screaming, of course, trying to summon her useless wreck of an assistant, calling her names Stephen himself had never heard someone utter in his life and making the rest of the crew give her as wide a berth as they could.

He was unable to calm her. She was too busy screeching to actually listen to him – or to anyone, all things considered – and in the end the director had to simply follow his personal protocol on how to deal with a diva in the middle of a temper tantrum/ stardom crisis: ignore, move away slowly and let them seethe.

That was enough to give him a hint of what the little girl who had been helping her was going through. He winced, covering his eyes with a hand, finding it funny that the one to cause a scene hadn’t been the eight-year-old child, but her sixty-five-year-old mentor.

The thought that maybe something had happened to the girl made his heart ache, anxiety coursing through his vein. That would totally be on him, though, as he should have done what Manuela had been telling him to for the longest time and actually hire another, much calmer seamstress. He had been meaning to, but the idea of leaving such a brittle lady out of a job in that part of her life sounded cruel to him. Not that she wasn’t being even worse, acting out and cursing people for the sheer joy of it. And it wasn’t as if she weren’t nobility, to begin with. In any case…

Yes, he decided that day, enough was enough. He would not have a traumatized child in his company just because someone older than her didn’t know how to keep their emotions in check. He would fire her, he had to.

But first he had to see if his dearest Manuela wouldn’t set _him_ on fire for allowing one of her charges to go missing like that. His fear of that escalating when someone from the scenario crew asked him where the stoic, silent girl was as well.

Oh _joy._ Of course he had two kids to find instead of just one. Though they were friends, so it was more than likely that they were together, and safe. Right?

“Hm, my dear, I have to talk to you for a moment.” He said, placing a gentle hand on Manuela’s shoulder and looking up, his face and voice already apologetic. “Do you have a moment?”

She turned to him with tired brown eyes and a practiced smile that told him she was probably expecting him to throw more work at her. It had been a long day, a very productive one as well but nonetheless exhausting. From juggling Dorothea’s lessons and general difficulties when they were practicing with the entire cast, to mastering her own solos and some of her lines, it was getting harder and harder to stay sane as the premiere arrived.

By that time, she was already longing for the comforts of her couch, the nice goblet of wine she allowed herself to have at night and a book, which she would read while the brunette girl laid on her lap and promptly fell asleep. The other two would just go through the motions of eating something, taking a bath and going to bed, almost always too tired to interact with them or stay around for too long, when she insisted that they were together for a bit. For, although she could see how happy Dorothea was at her new life, the songstress also knew she was terribly missing her little friends. The days in which they had been free to run together, learn how to fight and fool around. Being the kids they were supposed to be, in sum.

She had known this would probably happen, but it had seemed like a small price to pay when the girl yawning in front of her had so much talent to offer. And such an eager mind to learn, too, once she put her heart to it. That didn’t mean Manuela didn’t ask herself every day if that had been the right choice. If she shouldn’t have found something else for them to do, then coach Dorothea when she got home at night and wait a few more years in order for her to be older and less of a child. Less of the child that she should be in that moment.

“Sure, Stephen.” She answered at last, shaking tiredness away from her face and focusing her eyes on the smaller man. Dorothea crept closer and held her hand, squeezing it affectionately, as always wondering if she had done something wrong or disappointed one of the grownups in a sense.

“I hm… I don’t know how to say this in an easy form.” He began, then realized it had been a mistake to start with such a sentence since both of them looked at him with wide, fearful eyes. Nobody said some suspense wasn’t good and nice, but that surely hadn’t been the right moment for it. “I’ll be quick about it, my apologies. Edelgard and Byleth are nowhere to be found.”

That had been worse than if he had indeed eased them into it, he noticed a few seconds too late. When both of them paled, eyes almost jumping out of their sockets at that revelation.

“W-what do you mean nowhere to be found? When was the last time you’ve seen either of them?” Manuela reacted before Dorothea did, but a second later the little girl gripped her hand tighter, breathing faster.

The memory of how dismissive she had been towards Edelgard’s feelings so clear in her mind, it made guilt override the fear of losing her, of losing them and being abandoned again. Of becoming even more of an orphan and having absolutely no family anymore. And that was the moment she realized how distant she had been from the other two, taking their presence for granted while being too enshrouded into her own little songstress world to note how they were doing, how they were feeling.

A mistake that made her heart lurch and twist itself in her chest, broke through the veil of indifference that had settled inside her towards everything and everyone that wasn’t Manuela, the Mittelfrank and at the most, Mr. Aureus.

“We gotta find them now! It’s getting dark and oh, what if- what if…” She herself was astonished when tears welled in her eyes. The thoughts running around in circles, reminding her of the last time that had happened. When her own mother was taken away from her in such a cruel, abrupt way she was left reeling, unrooted.

“Hush, dear one, we will. Hopefully.” The woman added in a small whisper, then winced when the girl sobbed at that. “When was the last time you’ve seen them today?” She repeated the question, used one of her oldest, favorite tricks to calm down and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly.

“Hm, I think it was before we went through your duets with the orchestra, midmorning. I do remember telling them to go fetch you, but nothing else afterwards. And Taylor has been yelling for and about Edelgard for much longer still so…” The director answered, also trying his best not to panic. The one little girl that was with them showing her worry so clearly, it was as if she were manifesting theirs as well.

“T-that long? What if they got lost, or worst, were taken when they went out f-for something?” The little singer said, trying to wiggle herself free from the woman and start the search alone. Those two were taking too long, as apparently grownups tended to from time to time.

“It’s more than likely that they’re together and remember that Byleth is very, very strong.” Manuela uttered in a soothing voice, bending her back a little so she could look straight at those shining, concerned emerald irises. Noticed what a contrast that was to the disdainful look she had shot Edelgard earlier in that same day. “She’ll keep both of them safe. Now let’s search for them and go home for the day, what do you think?”

The little girl nodded, uncertain about that but wanting the whole ordeal to work out. She wished she hadn’t been that cold. That she had hugged the little princess and crooned to her, until she stopped crying. The thought that perhaps she would never have the chance to do so again too terrifying that it made her shiver.

Thus when they were about to get out of the main theater and leave, she turned back to the stage and yelled: “Mister Aureus? That seamstress has been terrorizing my Edie for too long, and unnecessarily too. Everyone deserves better than working like that and honestly? Her embroidering isn’t even that good anymore. You gotta do something about it!”

“I- I will, Little Bird, I promise.” The man shouted back to her; some of the choir singers who had been going over their parts behind him snickering and nodding along, most of them frowning in disdain for the tailor as well. Yes, he thought, watching as the woman and the child left and the rest of the company muttered agreements to those words, he really had to do something about it soon.

“ _Your_ Edie, is she now?” Manuela teasingly queried once they left the Mittelfrank and were greeted by a rather chillier night than the ones they had been having as of late. Fall wasn’t that far away, they knew, but even so it was always a surprise to feel the timid change of season coming forth.

“I… care about her.” Dorothea shyly answered, glancing down at the darkened pavement and wishing she could feel the girls’ energies with her magic. The magic that had been manifesting in less violent ways than before, but surely was there in any case. Yet another subject Manuela had been coaching her in, whenever they had some spare time or motivation to do so.

The songstress hummed low in her throat, wondering if it would be too cruel for her to do a bit of reprimanding while they searched the city. Then mentally shrugged and decided to go for it anyways. “It didn’t seem like it this morning. You were definitely more worried about practice than her feelings.”

A pang of regret ran through her heart as she turned down and saw Dorothea sobbing again, a bit stronger than she had been before. Although she went on walking, she also stumbled more often due to how distraught she was, to the point the adult had to keep her standing three or four times.

“Here, listen to me for a bit.” Manuela continued, her tone much less accusing than before. “It’s ok for you to feel good, and special, and wanted. You are all of those things and even more.” She internally winced when teary emerald irises looked up at her in surprise, as if the kid had just been told she was made of gold. The songstress had heard some things about Dorothea’s past, enough that it made her want to hit her father on the head (continuously as well), but even so. It was always sad to see her reactions to being complimented by people who she considered authorities. “So yeah, dearie. Bask in the glory that you deserve. The compliments and the love, too.

“Just don’t think that anyone is beneath you, or that their feelings and struggles don’t matter because you are having a great time. They’re also valid and deserve attention. Just as you do.” She smiled down at the kid and was glad to see her nod, then frown a bit as if in reflection. “Now, don’t blame yourself for them running away, ok? This was a stupid adult’s fault and we’ll get this sorted out. But I’m sure your friend would be really happy to have your support.”

Dorothea wiped her eyes clear from tears and bobbed her head again, ashamed of her actions overall and the way she had been behaving. No wonder the other two had been edging away from her, what with how she often tended to make things about her. To talk about her rehearsals when they were home and supposed to relax. How many times had she made them listen to her one solo just this past week?

No… what Manuela said was right. She could feel good about herself, but forgetting others and their own experiences would never make her happy. It would only result in her being lonely. Hence she straightened her posture, opened her chest as if she were about to sing and hardened her expression. Hoped against hope, against the Goddess herself that nothing awful had happened to her friends, then followed the woman into another street.

“Think about what I said, ok? You’re amazing as you are, you don’t have to put others down to be the best songstress Fódlan has ever seen. If nothing, let them talk about your voice _and_ your charisma, little bird. Let them see you as the sweet girl you are, not as a ruthless one who steps over others in order to get what she wants.” The woman went on, trying to make her point as clear as she could.

“I… will. Now I just wanna see them again.” Dorothea whispered, her voice almost swallowed up the ample, dark road in front of them, the grandiose houses on both sides of that street and the torchlights lighting the way. It would have been soothing to walk around like that, if they hadn’t also been terribly afraid for the two little missing girls. “Thank you, Manuela.”

“And you will, I’m sure. No need to thank me.” She fondled the hand she was holding and sighed, felt weariness settling over her at that. Guilt, too, for not acting earlier. She had seen the way Edelgard looked sadder and sadder at every passing day. How her eyes had been losing the sheen she had loved so much, ever since the first time they met. “This is as much my fault as everything else.” She whispered, sighing. She was supposed to be the responsible one, the grownup. Yet there she was, screwing up again.

Just as she had with Cerys, it seemed.

The fact she had just told Dorothea it was ok to make mistakes, but couldn’t seem to accept that for her own self, wasn’t lost on her. Rather, she simply suppressed that thought and went on. Searching as frantically as she could, letting desperation get the best of her once she ended up retracing their steps to the alley where she had found the kids to begin with – only to find it occupied with new children.

All in all they spent at least one hour walking around before giving in to tiredness and anger, going back home and deciding they would skip practice the next day if it was necessary in order to find them. Their expressions became more and more downcast the closer they got to the manor, their voices lowering into whispers before turning into complete silence. A perfect mirror of how they felt inside, at the thought of failing and giving up like that.

Their faces became one of shock when they were in front of the main gate and spotted candle lights coming from inside the house itself.

“Is that…” Dorothea began, hoarse, partially scared for the possibility that there were thieves inside and partially hopeful that…

No, it couldn’t be. It really couldn’t be, right?

It could. And it was. Both singers became livid when they went indoors and found the house silent, but a few candles lit here and there adorning the living room with a soft, soothing light. The same light that was etched on Byleth’s pale face, as she leaned on the biggest couch and rhythmically petted a sleeping Edelgard’s hair.

The princess was lying on her lap, looking utterly relaxed and in complete heaven, whereas her protector kept frowning, small body covered by a crimson comforter they had gotten from the upper rooms a few hours ago. Around them were rests of fruits and when Manuela got closer, she was also able to spot several crumbs of pastries, bread and whatnot scattered on the floor and the couch itself.

She should probably be mad or beyond furious at finding that scene at her home, after both she and a concerned kid had been looking for the two of them for so long. They had all had a very tiresome day of rehearsals as well, which more than added to the stress factor. Yet… she couldn’t find in herself one sole reason to yell at the two little girls.

Even more so when she remembered that that was exactly what they were. Two little girls. Not workers who were supposed to know how to deal with troubled or troublesome people more than four times their age. There was no way she could be mad at them, not when she saw Edelgard looking so peaceful, a first for the last few weeks. Hence she shot Dorothea a sad glance and approached the couch slowly, bending her knee in order to look at the older thief.

Byleth instantly averted her gaze, both angry and ashamed at what had happened. She could see worry and tiredness displayed so clearly on the two singers’ faces, knew she and the princess had been the cause of that to an extent. That didn’t mean she was regretting the amazing afternoon they had had, strolling around an Enbarr that was starting to change with the first signs of fall, no longer unbearably hot but with a mild, chilly breeze that made some grownups dress themselves and their children with fancy coats which had just been purchased at stores that were changing their selection as each day became a bit colder than the last.

The same coats that now were stored in their personal chests upstairs, after Byleth had had the best day of her life stealing whatever clothes that caught Edelgard’s eyes, or the ones which she thought would look good on her (like two capes, a purple and a crimson one). Even though that took a good portion of their time, they also got sherbets from a different store than the one they had raided before with Dorothea, and something called… hm, it had a different name that the blue-haired girl couldn’t really remember, but maybe it was spagghertti and cream? She didn’t think so, but it had tasted really good and, she found out later, was also one of the princess’s favorite desserts.

All to make sure she wasn’t crying anymore, neither in silence or with actual tears. And it had been worth it, Byleth thought as she recalled the way Edelgard had started the afternoon sniffling and ended it laughing in joy while they ran away from a bakery ( _the_ best bakery in the Capital, actually) with all the pastries and sweets they could carry on their small arms. They raced all the way to the house, sticking their tongues as they passed in front of the Mittelfrank and had to take a moment to catch their breaths before jumping the gates to Manuela’s house and going indoors.

It had been too easy to just stash away the stolen clothing and some of their sweets upstairs, then collapse on the couch and eat away the rest of the desserts, giggling and talking in small tones. When the sun had gone down, Byleth flickered her wrist and made some candles come to life, basking the living room in both warmth and the nice lights that lulled a tired princess to sleep.

Her growing quiet and calm had given Byleth time to think things through. To wonder if they shouldn’t just pack everything and leave before the other two even noticed they weren’t at the theater – if they ever did, that was. However, she knew Edelgard wouldn’t really approve of it, knew she would see that as something rough and callous to do after they had been offered a place to stay in someone else’s house. The same someone who had been taking care of them like a mother, the mother neither of them had ever had in a sense. So yeah… that wasn’t an option to begin with.

Hence Byleth steeled herself for the lashing the two would probably get when Manuela came home, just like in that moment. Anticipated some name-calling, perhaps the same treatment the princess had been getting from the Bended Needle lady, and was more than ready to defend both of them if it came down to it.

What she didn’t expect, however, was to be received with a small, sad smile and the words that softly left the songstress’s mouth when she finally talked to her: “Forgive me, little one.”

She had been looking away and frowning, muscles tense. Wishing that El would remain asleep in order to not listen to whatever insults would be hurled their way. The apology made her turn her head and her body towards the grownup so fast, the princess stirred in her lap as well.

“I’m glad you’re safe, truly.” She went on, beaming at Edelgard once she opened her eyes and gave her a frightened, pleading look at first. “No, you’re not in trouble for doing that, though I’ll say you did scare both me and Thea to death by just disappearing in that way.”

“We’re rioting!” Byleth exclaimed, a hand protectively curling over the princess’s side. “They’re hurting her there and nothing’s right. I wanna train, not paint scenarios or go get stuff for others. The Mittelfrank _sucks_ and hates us.”

“The Mittelfrank doesn’t- “ The young singer started, temporarily forgetting how concerned she had been for them at that outburst. How dare they speak so badly of the place that was giving her so much joy?

Then she stopped herself, remembering that was exactly where the problem was. It had given _her_ so much joy. The same could not be applied to them, as it was.

“I mean… I… I’m happy you’re ok, too.” She amended, placing a hand on Edelgard’s shoulder and wincing when the girl flinched away from her.

“You do not care about us at all.” The princess whined, grudgingly getting to a sitting position. “I- I do hate it there.”

“We do care about you, sweetheart. I’m just sorry it took so long for us to notice how badly you were being treated.” Manuela sighed, rubbed her temple with a finger since she felt a headache starting. Goddess, she really couldn’t fathom being a mother; those three were giving her too much to think about and consider ever since she had met them. “Today we saw how Taylor has been terrorizing you. I’m pretty sure she has yet to stop yelling, calling you and everybody else some horrible names and making sure people in general have the worst day possible.”

“And her work isn’t even that good anymore, you’re making better repairs than she is.” Dorothea added, taking a seat beside the smaller girl and trying again to touch her. This time there was no protesting, so maybe they were getting somewhere with that. “Like, her sewing is really crooked and I think she’s not only bended, but super blind too.”

“Now, now, no need to be so critical of her.” Manuela admonished, though couldn’t help but join in the giggles that it elicited from a princess that hadn’t smiled in a while. “We’ve talked to Stephen about her and Dorothea here has made a point that he knows just how awful and unnecessary that whole thing is. Why, she even called you ‘my Edie’!”

“Manuela!” The young singer exclaimed, blushing at that, yet relieved when the girl beside her started laughing again. Realized then that she had missed that sound, something so clear that not even the songs they had been rehearsing at the company got close to how beautiful it was.

Impulsively, she pulled Edelgard into a strong hug and crooned to her a bit. “I… I’m sorry that I dismissed you earlier. I’m kinda tense with the big performance arriving and I can’t remember when was the last time people were so kind to me before.” She explained, rocking their bodies from side to side. Well-aware that Byleth was watching the whole scene with something akin to weariness in her eyes. “But you’re important to me too, and I didn’t wanna hurt you. Forgive me?” The last was said in a small voice, as she pulled away enough so they could look at each other’s eyes.

She saw sadness etched into those two amethyst gems she loved so much. Sadness and something else, as well, something that made her gasp due to how strong it was.

That other something was uncertainty, in a way. Fear being another word that could be used to describe it.

“I understand the position you are in and, quite frankly, I could not be happier for you, Thea. You deserve to be admired, to have others look at you in adoration. So yes, I do forgive you, but…” She faltered there, pulled the other girl back into the embrace and nestled her head on the shoulders. “But I cannot go on like this. I can’t... take all of that humiliation one day longer. I don’t want to.”

“And you won’t have to, dear. I spoke to the director as well and he trusts me more than anyone else in the Mittelfrank. I’m sure he’ll see how wrong that entire thing was, if he hasn’t already. He was just as worried as we were when we couldn’t find you anywhere.” The adult said, soothingly caressing her hair since she had started sobbing and sneezing again.

“I do not want to be a burden to you.” She added, gloomily, which made Manuela understand why it had taken her actually crumbling under pressure for all of that to come to light.

“Dear, it’s not because I offered you a place to stay that you have to put up with things like that. Never let others treat you badly just because they’ve done something good to you before. And quite honestly, I only did my duty as a human being, taking you out of that alley, nothing more.” She sighed, grinned at Byleth’s small nod at that. “As for you.” She turned to the little thief and went on. “You should have talked to me as well, though I know you aren’t one for words. Nor do you trust me completely in any case.

“You said you miss training, right? Hm, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you using the smaller theater for that. I know you’re used to practicing outside and I’ll have to ask you to please be careful to not hit anything, but honestly I can’t see Stephen saying no to that. You’re kids and having you work fulltime is awful enough as it is. So if you’re ok with it, have the mornings off for training and maybe teaching Eldegard here too, if she feels like it.”

They giggled at the nickname and the proposition too, something that made three pairs of eyes shine. That was good, she thought, sighing to herself in relief. The last thing she wanted was to have two out of the three kids hating her, loathing the place they spent most of their time in and wanting to run away.

“But please, don’t ever go away like that again. You gave me, Dorothea and Stephen quite the heart attack.” She added, still soft but with a bit of reproachful tone.

“You don’t listen to kids until they do something.” Byleth grumbled, though she nodded at that anyways. “So we riot instead.”

“You have the right of that, unfortunately. Adults do tend to ignore kids and you know what? They’re completely wrong.” Manuela said in a confiding way. “The three of you have taught me a lot already, on the little time we’ve been together. So thank you for being in my life and I’m sorry for that… bumpy start.”

“It is ok. Byleth antagonized me the first few days we were together as well.” Edelgard spoke up, disentangling herself from Dorothea in order to look at the woman. A small smile colored her lips even though she had just wiped unshed tears from her eyes. “I am still very grateful for everything you have done for us, Miss… Manuela.”

Something warm and fuzzy traveled through the grownup’s bloodstream at those words, a perfect ending to a hectic day. She couldn’t help but beam back at the three little ones that were staring at her with childlike care and admiration in their faces. It was ok to make mistakes, she realized. She would be ok, they would be ok, and everyone would become wiser with those little mistakes.

“Thank you as well, little princess. All of you.” She added, playfully poking each of them on the arm. “Now, I can see you’ve already eaten half of Enbarr in one afternoon, but would you care for some tea?”

There were squeals and giggles of approval at that, while the kids got up from the couch and made their way into the kitchen. Manuela followed them, feeling a lot lighter already as she started into their backs. A memory hitting her when she focused at Byleth and saw her shoulders covered by a dark blue cape, one that she had never seen before.

“Byleth Eisner, what have I told you about stealing?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who said working at the Mittelfrank would be easy, right? For one of them, yeah, but the others... And Edelgard had the displeasure of being put with Taylor (Bent Needle) von Varley, Bernie's grandmother of all people :) Not a good time at all.  
> This chapter was fun to write, especially since we're (mostly) out of Dorothea's angst arc (mostlyyyy). Let the girl breathe and sing, right?
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed!


	15. Premiere of a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Manuela falls back into old habits a few nights before the grand opening to their play, only to find comfort in an unlikely source
> 
> A newcomer to Imperial lands, one who would rather be home writing and sparring with their friends, is awed by the performance and the youngest addition to the Mittelfrank.
> 
> Edelgard and Byleth get to hear another report from someone they never thought they would meet at the Opera House.

Although it had been years since the first time Manuela Casagranda had her first premiere at the Mittelfrank, one that was received with mixed critiques by nobles and artistic connoisseurs of the time, she still kept some habits formed in the nights before it. No matter how much better her technique got, or how people eventually came to love her and regard her with standing ovations, doubts about her ability to do well and portray her role correctly would start settling in a week before the due date.

Then, even if she were word perfect and everyone in the orchestra congratulated/fawned over her singing, four days before she would start worrying about either forgetting what she needed to say or that her voice would fail her in a solo, during songs that had proven difficult during the initial rehearsals (and had been mastered later on, but first impression sometimes did linger the most).

And of course there was the general fear of things going wrong around her and throwing her off, which would settle in usually during last rehearsals, when costumes were being fit for the last time and every piece of equipment was given a last, cursory check. And Goddess forbid they would burst a prop or tear a dress so close to the opening day! Manuela wasn’t the one to fret about how the cast and crew were doing (it was enough to wonder about her own abilities, after all), and that usually happened to whoever would play her partner or co-lead singer and Stephen, too.

It has always been fun to watch how everyone else was coping. The director would often become more energetic than he normally was, dashing everywhere and calling people to order when they were already silently listening to his commands, or making new demands last minute as he realized something about the set or figurine wasn’t as good as he had thought. The diva’s partners would either pester her for extra training hours (which she would more than likely deny, since she had her anxiety to tend to) or ask her out on dates so they would get closer as people (which she would more than likely accept, even more so if that involved alcohol and something else to soothe her own nerves).

That had been her life for the last… how long had it been now? Manuela didn’t know, would rather not know and decided it was better to stop counting than to let numbers depress her. Years were nothing but a stupid measurement of time anyways. One that had ruined many actors and singers when they were considered to be ‘past their prime’, a prospect that scared her, since she knew it would apply to her sooner or later.

She dreaded the day Stephen would gently pull her aside and say that her voice had lost its sheen, her body its vigor and that she had been practicing less and less, that she had been too tired to keep going for longer hours. She knew the man would be sweet and nice about it, they had been friends for a long time already, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t had nightmares about the whole ordeal to begin with.

So yes… she would take control of that situation and be the one to ask him for a conversation instead. Dorothea’s presence and acceptance at the Mittelfrank had just been the first step for that to happen sooner rather than later. Her studying medicine by herself late at night, after the girls were asleep, the second one.

That evening, however, two nights before the grand opening of their latest show, saw herself not curled up with a book or taking notes on diseases in her study room, but sitting on the dining table and wondering about the performance to come. An opened, already half-emptied wine bottle (the second of that day) stood next to the lit candle over the table, the one thing giving some light to the house but certainly not to her thoughts.

Her mind was already jumbled, lost to the torpor that alcohol had often brought her in those evenings. It was also mildly surprising, in a funny way, how fast she had gotten tipsy this time, making her giggle to herself as she blamed the kids and their sobering presence for the fact she couldn’t remember the last time she had indulged in a glass of spirits of any kind.

Sure, Manuela’s growing dedication to the healing arts could also be a reason for that, but still. She had wanted to set a good example for the little ones, even when her body and mind had yearned for a glass of wine or a small sip or liquor. Now that those wishes were being sated, however, there was a pang of regret in her, followed by a giggle and a shake of her head.

She would look quite the figure if one of the children were to wake up and descend the stairs, finding her hunched over a bottle and her nerves over the performance looming ahead. Not even Dorothea had looked that scared of the whole thing and that was saying something, as she had been given a somewhat central, important role for her first appearance on the stage. 

The girl was jittery and anxious, that was visible by how much longer it had been taking for her to fall asleep at night, or for how many times she asked the diva to rerun their solo and some parts she had to sing with the choir. Byleth and Edelgard already knew her lines and that of the other characters which would be in one scene or another alongside her, with the older thief being more than keen to help her with a part when she had to do some sword fighting. And while that was a good way to see them all interacting, Manuela herself felt somewhat of a failure for not setting a better example. For not being the cool, collected songstress Dorothea and the others could look up to.

Nope, there she was, being quite the opposite of that while downing a huge gulp of wine in celebration to her misery. To the fact that the performance could very well be her last if it wasn’t well-received. If the audience or Stephen noticed something was off in her voice (was it? She didn’t know, but sometimes did hear a bit of a shift in her range, in her pitch even).

“What a fwine mess you’ve made urself into, Manuwla.” She mumbled at that, then giggled a bit too loudly when she heard how slurred those words sounded. Oh great, now she couldn’t even deal well with alcohol. Wasn’t that another sign of aging?

“No mess, just nervous.”

The small, whispering voice surprised her, made her jump on her seat as she turned around to see who had been there. Then sighed in disdain and a bit of self-consciousness at being caught in the act like that. Of course one of the kids would be up for no apparent reason in the one night she had needed to be her old self. To reminisce and fall into a not so good habit in order to numb her mind.

And of course that kid would be Byleth, always so silent it wasn’t unusual for the woman to not notice when she had entered a room.

She wondered how she looked like to the kid. She could feel her face warmed up already, cheeks flaring more due to the drink than to embarrassment or the candle flame being a tad too close to her. Her posture was slumped and somewhat defeated, not at the slightest what a diva of the Mittelfrank should be like. All of the confidence and grace she usually radiated long gone, not even a trace of them remaining to tell the story.

“Bylef you hm… should go back to bed. No good for you to be up that late.” Manuela said, trying as much as she could to whisper but failing as her voice rose a bit. Oh Goddess she really wanted some spell to turn back time now, if only so the kid wouldn’t see her like that. What would they think of her?

“Can’t sleep, Eldegard is sneezing some and all.” The older thief shrugged, her expert eyes recognizing what was going on with the grownup. After all, she had seen her father and fellow Blade Breakers going through the same things more than once, the sight becoming normal for her. So much so that she didn’t regard the woman any differently than before and was just a tad surprised at how long it had taken her to get to the alcohol that had been hidden out of sight.

Well that was, out of sight from those who didn’t know how to search. Maybe the other two girls had yet to see those nice-looking bottles and their nicer colored liquids. After all, the songstress had made a really good job of placing them on the highest shelf in the pantry, behind sacks of rice and sugar. If Byleth hadn’t been partially taking stock, partially assaulting the kitchen once every two nights she might have missed that little detail altogether.

“Sneezin? Was she cryin?” The singer inquired, wondering why she wasn’t being loaded with questions on her current, very drunken way. She knew she was mostly a good actress, but there were limits to her talents, right? Which could only mean…

Nothing. Her brain was too intoxicated to actually connect any dots. Nevertheless, she stored that information away for later, for when she would be able to better articulate ideas. 

“Nah, don’t think so.” The two of them had gone back to sleeping together, now sharing a bed on either of their rooms.

It was too good to not spend the night alone in a house that wasn’t their own, no matter how many times Manuela repeated that it was. They did still feel scared and not completely at ease at some times, plus it had started to get colder as autumn approached and they were more than happy to share some body heat and nice remarks about their days.

The invitation had been extended to Dorothea, who sometimes did creep into their rooms and under covers with the other two, but tended to sleep by herself more often than not. It wasn’t that she despised the girls or whatever, just that they could end up speaking late into the morning and move around too much for her comfort. It would never do if she was tired before practice even started, thus there was that.

Yet as the big day approached the little singer had found herself more and more prone to staying with them as well, even if only for a few hours and until they were able to distract her from the nerves that tried settling in and keeping her awake. She was beyond grateful for their company in this time of her life – and relieved they hadn’t shunned her after those first few weeks at the Mittelfrank, either. Their relationship only growing stronger as days went by and no one’s needs were forgotten, set aside or seen as unimportant.

Yes, the songstress had made things a lot better after they had that little talk – even if she had been really mad when she found out everything Byleth had stolen that day. And she still did so, whenever she discovered there was something else she had yet to see in the girls’ wooden chests or rooms.

That was the little family they had created, though. A unique one, as all families were in their own singular way. One that, in that moment, was composed of a very drunk grownup and her three little ones.

“And you came down here ‘cause?” Manuela inquired, wincing a bit at how scathing she had sounded, at least to her own ears. 

“Something felt off. Maybe it was the light, I dunno. Then I saw you here.” Byleth shrugged, silently pulled a chair away from the table and plopped down on it, unceremonious. “You ok?”

“Hmmm but why are you out of bed? Were you about to steal something again?” The woman accused, feeling a bit like a child herself. Her hand went to her chin, as if she were in deep thoughts. “Oh I know, you were after my bracelet again!”

Usually Manuela would sigh, shake her head and try talking the kid into not taking her stuff like that any longer. This time, however, when Byleth gave a sheepish grin and lifted her arm, the woman laughed as if that was a joke. They had already lost count of how many times the bracelet was found in the older thief’s personal chest, wrist, cape or room in general. It had almost become a jest between them, in a sense.

“You’re insufferable, do you know that?” The grownup said, shaking her head and taking another gulp of wine. “Why’s it that you always get that thing?”

And it was mostly when she was tense. Almost as if the kid knew, and wanted her to relax or have a good laugh. Or yell at her to dispel some tension, too. She giggled at the notion; sure the girl was perceptive, but more than likely not to that point.

“Matters to you, so yeah, why not.” She shrugged, a small smile on her face. It was good to see the woman beaming as well, even chuckling. It was, as always, a nice contrast to when she was too sad, too worried about whatever it was. Though this time, it didn’t take a genius to understand what was plaguing her. “Performance’s coming soon.”

“Indeed it is, little one. Another performance and this one was a ride.” Manuela said, then giggled. What an understatement it was to define it as such.

Not only was her character a bit deep and broody, more than her usual ones were, but the play had had some issues from beginning to the end. The fact they had indeed fired their main seamstress after everything she did and said to Edelgard turned out to be the least of their worries, especially since one much more pleasant Mrs. von Varley – the one married to Taylor’s son – was keen on offering her apologies and asking them to please let her work on what remained of the costumes free of charge. It was the only way she knew to repay them, she had said, though nobody understood why she took the costumes away at night and returned them in the morning for inspection every single day. Her response being that she didn’t like to stay away from her sweet daughter for too long, but still.

Stephen knew better than to pry, especially when such a nice and amazing job was being done for free (but he did end up giving the woman what Taylor would have gotten as her salary later on). Also, both cast and crew were ecstatic to be rid of their former seamstress and her reign of terror, as it was a lot better to know they were no longer working with someone yelling names and accusations every ten seconds or so.

No, that had been the least of their troubles, though the others were similar in nature and consisted of things going wrong.

The list was a bit immense, but some of the highlights were: an amazing musician that fell sick and died a few days later, marking it as Manuela’s second close encounter with death and the impact it had on the living. Since he had been sent home the moment he was too ill to attend rehearsals, there was nothing the diva could do healing-wise; they only heard of his passing when relatives came to make sure nothing of his had remained behind.

Then there was an issue with scenario, as the ones responsible for it had apparently been painting something completely different from the script and that only got noticed when final rehearsals were on and props were being used as well. That meant some people from the cast had to be sent to the crew in order to help, whenever their scenes or songs weren’t being run.

Add to that how the chorus had been having issues with a particular part of a song for ages and nothing they did seemed to solve it, and how Dorothea herself could often be seen mixing her singing and speaking lines and well… suffice it to say, a lot of extra hours were done in the last month before the premiere.

Not all of those issues were solved, as they were still without a pianist (Edelgard had helped to the best of her ability, but just as it had been with sewing, she had never been trained to be a musician and could only play one hand on some of their pieces. Plus, she was only asked to help when they were going through singing, so there was that. She would never be able to replace a famous, talented player anyways) and the chorus had to master that song to that day, to the point Stephen was considering to have it cut. But the show must go on, and so it would- plus apparently another pianist was already being selected.

“Yea, it all sounds too complicated to me.” Byleth said with a smile, though she had enjoyed it when the princess played a bit – even if she weren’t the best musician in the house. “But you’ll do it, I’m sure. You’re working hard all this time. Is it always like this?”

“Mhm, sometimes more, others less. But by Sothis, this’s been a hellish one.” The woman replied, glad for that support. Mostly people thought she was the one to go to with their own concerns and fears, though it was rare for her to have someone to talk about her own. Blame it on years of trying to make it look like she always had it all together, when well… she was only human and was allowed to feel like things were falling apart.

It was only a bit weird that she had a child to talk to, however. Maybe if she were sober that would have been more of a problem, but in her current state and with everything that had been going through her head as of then, it was more acceptable, in a sense.

Byleth nodded, eyeing the almost empty bottle on the woman’s table and knew better than to try taking it away from her, lest she could meet some resistance. Most drunks didn’t really enjoy it when what they were doing and/or how much they had already downed was pointed out to them. “You feeling ok?”

“Eh, we’ve had worse seasons, quite honestly.” The songstress emptied the bottle in a long gulp, somewhat unafraid of doing so in front of a kid. The woman had a feeling that girl in particular must have dealt with something like that before. “And in the end it’ll be fine one way or the other. I hope. But in any cawse, enough about me. How’ve you been?”

“Good. Will we be able to watch you guys?” She deflected, wondering how long that would go on and if she should stop the woman from getting another drink in case she tried to. Then decided it was probably a good idea, or else Manuela would be too grumpy next morning – and a grumpy Manuela meant less of a chance for her heists to go unpunished or unnoticed.

“You want to? I can hm… get you tickeds or something.” The grownup was surprised to hear that, didn’t even think the other two girls would be interested in the spectacle since they had seen it being put together from day one. It was heartwarming to notice that they actually wanted to be involved – either that, or she had had so much wine her entire body was too warm. “I’ll talk to Steph about that tomorrow.”

“Today. It’s too late already.” That was when Byleth finally moved, holding a hand for the empty bottle and beaming when the woman giggled before guiltily giving it to her. “Go to sleep, Manuela. And please, check up on Eldegard later for me?”

Ah yes, the adult remembered, sluggishly getting to her feet and glad when the thief’s hand was on her arm to offer some balance. There was that little issue with the… coughing? Crying? No, it was something easier than that and which could be attributed to at least a dozen different issues, plus to the simple fact that it was starting to get cold out there. “Sure, just close the window when you sleep. The wind’s getting chillier and all.”

“Aradia used to say the cold didn’t cause a flu.” The kid frowned, then held Manuela’s arm with more strength when she staggered and threatened to overbalance, an act that also caused her to chuckle.

“Aradia’s a damn fool then. Also who the hell is she?” The songstress yawned, finally getting to that point where alcohol was making her drowsy. Good, that meant her mind had been quieted down and would finally succumb to a deep, dreamless sleep. No facing Stephen and his threats about her getting older in her nightmares tonight!

“Mage from our group. Not a healer tho, was never able to heal.” Byleth informed, face becoming angry when she recalled how the woman had come to get them and was repelled.

She had been trying her hardest not to think about the other thieves and her father, but at times it was difficult. A part of her weary about the prospect that she would be recognized in the audience when they were watching Dorothea and Manuela on the stage, but at the same time wanting to take that risk. What would one of the Blade Breakers be doing at the Mittelfrank anyways? Not that they weren’t fans of the opera or nice, artistic things, but their usual hangouts often involved some fighting or drinking.

So she would be there… but stay as attentive as she could in any case. Not only for herself, but for the little princess who was still her charge, even if a grownup was indeed taking care of them.

“Well yeah so Aradia’s a damn fool.” Manuela agreed with herself, giggling once they slowly approached the stairs. “I don think I can climb this, dearie.”

“You can’t by yourself, but I’ll help. Lean on me and get the rail.” Byleth instructed, as if she were the adult in that situation. But then, she had already played that role so many times, it was almost second nature to her.

“You’re awfully good at this.” The songstress said, struggling to place her foot on the step over her and hitting either the side of the stairs or thin air. “Ever helped a drunk before?”

“Yup. Jeralt always got like this when we celebrated.” The girl confessed, arm firm against the woman’s back. Taking someone upstairs like that was a first, but she wasn’t about to let the diva know that. It was fundamental for her to trust Byleth in a moment such as that. “My father.” She completed as the grownup shot her an inquisitive look.

That answer was more than she had bargained for, but then Manuela hadn’t been thinking too much of anything for a while, her thoughts either too fast or muddled for her to make actual sense of them.

“Ah, I see. Sorry you had to go through that.” And she was, too. No kid should have to see their parent doing something like that, or in a volatile, altered headspace.

“Why? It made him feel good. Yeah, it also made him walk and talk funny, like you’re doing now, but… It was his thing.” The thief shrugged, felt relieved whenever another step was conquered by the tired woman. It wouldn’t take long for her to fall asleep, so they would have to make sure it didn’t happen on the hallway.

“Even so. Don’t make this your thing too, you hear me? Nothing good comes out of it.” Manuela chastised in a somewhat loud voice, placing a hand over her mouth when she heard herself being echoed by the house and the empty corridor in front of them. “I should be quiet to not wake the others.”

“Yeah. But it’s fine, they were up before.” And truth be told, they were worried about Manuela, as they had listened to the sound of her steps leaving the study room and going downstairs… then her laugher and small ramblings, as the woman tended to have full, one-sided (most of the times demeaning) conversations while drunk like that.

Which was exactly why Byleth had gone there, not so much for the fact that Edelgard had been sneezing a bit. They both knew that was nothing to worry about, maybe just divine punishment for her indulging in sherbets, as the princess herself had said. No, the actual issue had been how long the songstress had been downstairs, behaving like that, and their concern about it.

Even Dorothea had gotten to their room and asked if they should do something. It didn’t take long for them to reach a decision and send Byleth down, an idea that was endorsed when the older kid said she had seen people behaving in that way before.

“Didn’t want any of you to see me like that, though.” Manuela whispered with a grimace, as she tripped again and had to clutch the girl for dear life. Her numb mind wanting to go on a ramble against herself, but it was stopped when she looked at the kid and saw nothing but support in her eyes.

A support that had rarely been there when she was drunk alongside other adults, in a way. It was always easier to find them judging her instead, even if sometimes they were in a similar or worse state.

“It happens, that’s life.” Byleth whispered, clutching the door to the singer’s room and ushering her inside. She let it remain open while maneuvering the woman around and aiding her to lie down in bed.

From her experience with it, the woman would more than likely be ok in the morning, with nothing but a mild headache to complain about (and some light sensitivity, of course). And perhaps there had been no need for the kid to take her all the way into the room and so on, but better safe than sorry for sure. She had learned that after too many nights in which Jeralt had gotten hurt when sleeping on the floor, those few times she had deemed him well enough to take those last steps alone.

“That is… life. You’re too… wise for someon your age…” Manuela stuttered between yawns, eyes closing before her body could even understand she was in her comfortable mattress already. Her consciousness was already slipping away as Byleth covered her with all the blankets she had around – and it was a lot, but she would rather the woman boiled with all the alcohol than froze during the night.

“Nuh uh.” The child mumbled, glancing at the woman in an inquisitive way, thinking about how much she had been going through as of late. She knew that ‘adopting’ the three of them hadn’t been an easy feat to begin with. Add to that a play that had had a lot of things going on, plus whatever else had been on her mind, and one had the recipe for an emotional disaster.

In the end, sooner or later something like that was bound to happen. Even more so given how Manuela had tried her best to be the perfect guardian, singing/acting coach for Dorothea and moral support of sorts for her and the princess. She had been doing too much for too long, holding down the fort against the strong winds of others’ emotions and her own, thus it was just right that at one point she would crumble.

She watched the diva’s body start to relax, her breathing become slower with a smile still on her lips, stayed inside the quarters for a while longer in order to make sure everything would be fine. Her eyes were almost closing too, drooping after a long day which had indeed started with her training swords and helping Edelgard with her axe in the side theater, both of them giggling while Dorothea went through her weird, funny voice warmups and breathing exercises. They always stared at her and made some jokes of the whole deal, before Manuela told them to stop and they did their best to focus on just practicing with their weapons.

On and on it had gone, with so many little things to do in the Mittelfrank (after the sewing disaster, the princess had mostly joined Byleth in carrying messages, helping with scenarios and props, or actually using the skills she had acquired and mending small tears and other harmless defects in clothing) and their own heists.

The three of them were now allowed at least two hours to just be kids and do whatever they wanted to. Whereas Dorothea was more than happy to go on training or learning an instrument – the harp had become her favorite soon enough – the other two usually took to the streets, even more so when there was still no guard around them, no matter how much time had passed ever since the day Edelgard had been taken away from the palace. That absence had become almost something they took for granted, though Byleth hadn’t forgotten her initial role as her protector and was forever looking around them both, making sure they were safe and could enjoy that latest pastry or sherbet in peace.

And sure, although they were getting some income due to their general work – or some pocket money from Manuela when they were about to stroll outside of the amphitheater, old habits did die hard; Byleth ended up stealing their treats before she could even notice what she was doing and they only paid for it when Edelgard was the one in charge of getting them sweets or clothes.

Those small, funny moments a contrast to that one, the one in which she had been allowed a glance at a different Manuela they had all come to know. A Manuela who was suffering, anxious and… well, human.

The little thief was about to go out when she turned around a last time and eyed the woman’s side table and drawers. For the first time since they had been taken in, the wish to take something valuable wasn’t there, even if at that point it was mostly a joke. Yet, as they were so found of getting at each other like that, she had to keep the tradition going, right?

She stayed there a minute longer, just enough for her hands to grab something, then silently edged away from the room and closed the door behind her. Her steps were equally quiet as she went back to Edelgard’s quarters and crept into the bed, barely moving it or the duvets around.

“Is she alright?” The princess inquired in a quiet voice, turning in order to face the newcomer. She made a small sound when arms went around her body and brought her closer, even as she had to turn her face around for a second and sneeze.

“Cheers. I asked Manuela to take a look at you tomorrow or something.” Byleth commented after a yawn. “And yeah, she’s fine. The usual drinking thing that some grownups do.” For a second she wondered if that did apply to royals as well, but her question was answered even before she could ask it.

“Ah, I understand. Yes, I have seen my fair share of it in the palace. Although it is considered unbecoming of nobles to indulge in such a way, that does not mean it isn’t… quite common in parties and balls.” Edelgard answered, nuzzling closer to the other girl. “While Marina isn’t a fan of spirits, the same cannot be said of my other siblings that are considered of an age to drink.”

“So wait, you saw your siblings drunk?” Byleth chuckled, sometimes marveled at how easy the simple act of laughing had become. “Must be fun. You tried it before?”

“Oh no, I am not old enough and quite frankly, I do not see the point of numbing my mind likewise. Though it surely has its benefits, or else not so many people would have such a habit.” She pondered, closing her eyes and allowing her body to relax.

Sheer worry had been keeping her awake until the other girl returned, as she was incredibly tired and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. That feeling had been going on for a while, making her ask Byleth for them to do smaller heists and stay closer to the opera house on their free time. It was more than likely due to the performance drawing near, what with how on edge everyone was – even the crew, to which she and the thief somewhat belonged to – and the stress was really getting to them.

They had witnessed too many people who were good friends yelling at each other as if the mistake one had made would be enough for the world to implode. That had become too usual, unfortunately, and it was indeed a surprise even though it made sense such things would arise when an important date was coming. Those people’s lives depended on the next play, on performing well and making sure everything, down to the smallest details, was in order. Rather than judging their outbursts, the kids did their best to stay out of the adults’ ways and do what was asked of them.

That didn’t make it all less exhausting, but surely eased the mental strain which would only add to their worries as the days went by and the spectacle was about to come to life.

“How’s your day?” Byleth inquired in a whisper, though she had almost let the question go since it did feel like Edelgard would be fast asleep soon. She didn’t want to make her even more tired that she had seemed to be during the hours they had spent together, but even so. The two made a point of talking like that before actually slumbering, too.

“Complicated and tiresome. Mister Aureus told me to…” here she yawned, buried her head on the thief’s chest and hugged her even more. “… see if the illumination mages needed some extra help, although he knows I am not good with magic. At all. Then I had to fix some costumes that were already torn in the actors’ last rehearsal so…”

“Eventful. You doing the big stuff, always.” Byleth lightly said, cosseting her brown hair as if to soothe. “Soon it’ll be over and we’ll get to watch it too. So Dorothea’ll be doing all the work and we can grab something fun to eat as we watch.”

“I wonder if we shall be able to watch it, even if from the sides. I would love to see how everything comes together, and to listen to those two singing together, too.” Edelgard nodded, smiled as she imagined the stage decorated with the scenario they had been working on, with actors in it and the orchestra at the front. It would surely be a sight to behold.

“Ask Manuela and she’ll do something for you, I’m sure.” The voice came from the room door and made them smile, even more so when it was followed by shuffling feet and an extra weight added into the mattress. “I can’t sleep, I’m too nervous already.” Dorothea confessed, beaming once Byleth’s arms came and pulled her closer, so close she almost stifled Edelgard.

“That is understandable. It will be your first time singing on a stage such as the Mittelfrank’s and that is no laughing matter.” The princess whispered, placed her hands on the other girl’s back. It was nice to be like that, lying together in a bad instead of a floor. “However, you would not be there if you did not deserve that spot, Thea. And you do. I am not saying this because I am your friend, but you sing much better than many of the adults in the company.”

“That you do.” Byleth agreed, her chin softly hitting Edelgard’s head once she nodded. The sight was enough to make the little singer giggle, especially when the princess covered her head with both hands.

“And it will be fine if you make mistakes, ok? Everybody does. Even Manuela, and she _is_ the diva as well. She has been the diva for quite a while and I am sure she would tell you of many errors she has committed during her career if you were to ask her about them.” Edelgard continued. “And hm… you will still be amazing, even if you do something wrong on the stage. Please do remember that.”

“Yeah and we’ll be there for ya no matter what.” Byleth added, bringing them even closer. “We’ll watch you and if anybody says something stupid, we’ll hit them hard! Eldegard is real good with the axe so she’ll do it.”

“Please, no bloodshed on my premiere.” Dorothea whined, but couldn’t contain the giggles at that mental image. “Thanks, you both. It’s been getting harder but hm… I don’t wanna impose on you, so we should try sleeping right?”

“We should, you shall have quite the day tomorrow with last arrangements if what I have heard from Mister Stephen still stands. But do not hesitate to reach for us when you need to talk. Good night.” She added, already closing her eyes and snuggling closer to Dorothea this time, her mind too slurred for her to keep that conversation going. Though she was probably so tired, she wouldn’t hear it if the other two were to keep talking.

“Thanks, you two. I’m here for you. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at times.” The last sentence was more whispered than anything else, as Dorothea remembered how she had dismissed them more than once. Luckily they didn’t hold it against her, though it didn’t mean she herself didn’t. The feeling of guilt always so strong, it threatened to make her throat close.

“No self-deprecating thoughts in the middle of the night, please. Or ever, frankly.” The princess interrupted, huffing in indignation. “We shall speak more tomorrow if you feel the need. Now I would really appreciate it if you didn’t place your foot on my knee like th- ah, thank you.”

The sound of three distinct, merry chuckles was the last thing the house heard from the three girls in that particular night, a sound very different from the laments which had come from the songstress a few minutes ago.

“But I really don’t see the reason for me to come along!”

Count Henrik Galatea sighed in exasperation at that protest, the fourth in that evening alone. No matter how much he had spoken to the kid who currently walked hand in hand with him, as they made their way through Central Enbarr, its’ grey streets framed by grandiose houses and illuminated by old-fashioned torchlight posts, he would probably never make her understand how important that night would be. Not that it couldn’t be seen as a mere, nice distraction from their usual days spent training in their estate house, but still.

“Ingrid, honey, we have spoken about this before and in any case, there’s nothing you can do but follow me now, or risk getting lost in a strange city, with strange people around and no food in tow.” He patiently explained. He loved his child, the hurricane of motion, dreams and ideas that had also manifested a crest and brought hope back into his eyes.

However, that didn’t mean that sometimes her narrowmindedness wouldn’t be the death of him.

“But- but you could have left me at the inn and I did promise I wouldn’t leave the place, that I would be good.” She whined, eyeing the line which was already forming in front of the Mittelfrank Opera Company with disgust, her hand that wasn’t on her father’s clutching the small, black leather notebook and enchanted pen (so it would never run out of ink) in the format of a Pegasus feather tighter than before. Her hands making a statement about what she would rather be doing instead of having to attend a boring musical.

And yes, she had to admit she had never been to an opera before since the ones in Faerghus were a bit on the expensive side – and she knew her family didn’t have the money to spend on lavish events such as these. Plus, apparently the Opera Company in Enbarr was famous all around Fódlan and visited by the rich, the powerful and the famous, whatever that meant. But she really couldn’t care less about them, about all those rumors on a child prodigy that would be singing as well.

No, all of that could go rot in hell for all that she cared. The one thing she had wanted to do in that stupidly long trip was to write her story. Which was exactly what she had been doing before her father forced her into a long, aquamarine dress and shoes, then asked one of the inn ladies to braid her abundant hair into a beautiful plait and gave her a silver necklace with a sun-shaped jade trinket hanging from it.

To say that she despised being interrupted was an understatement. Those clothes were also too constricting and didn’t allow her to dash around, grab a spear and fight with one of her friends (not that she could anyways, they were all back in Faerghus). In a sense, it felt like it restricted her own imagination, too, so she wondered if she would even be able to write another line while she pretended to watch that damn spectacle.

And Sothis above, did she want to keep on writing. The trip to Enbarr had filled her head with so many ideas, it felt like a waste for her to not jot them all on paper with her scrawny handwriting, which had never been properly tamed into being curly. The tale that she was working on recently spoke of a knight who flew on a beautiful Pegasus and was the strongest of them all, shocking whoever crossed their path when they revealed to be… a girl!

Ingrid wanted so much to read a story like that, one day she decided she would write her own. After all, it wasn’t fair that most knight tales were about men that were strong and conquered everything in their paths, or were just handsome, fair and just. Women could be like that too. Just ask her, she was the fastest and strongest in her friend group for a reason. And that reason was her knowledge that in the future, she would be a knight herself.

And what kind of knight even had the time to attend a silly opera in the other side of the continent? She didn’t see any of her friends in there, or guards around Enbarr, or anyone that looked… knightly, to say the least. No, only the nobility or whatever was waiting as the line progressed in a painfully slow pace, from the “chillier” street (it wasn’t even that cold, but apparently they weren’t used to a little breeze in the Capital and were already wearing coats) to the warmer interior of the theater house.

“Please, my dearest, just for one night. You’ll have all the time in the world to write when we’re done here.” Henrik sighed, a bit tired at that display and thankful that her friends had remained in Faerghus instead of accepting the invitation they had received. Goddess only knew how much trouble the five of them would be up to if they were together in Enbarr.

“I don’t see Glenn here. Or Dimitri. So why did I have to come?” She pouted, shuffling her weight from foot to foot as they got closer to the place, her mood growing sourer with it. Soon enough they would be inside and she would be expected to behave like a lady, as her father usually said.

“They are busy with their own things and quite honestly, it would look bad if every House in the Kingdom denied the Emperor’s invitation anyways. That is why we’re here.” He explained again, for the hundredth time since they had boarded a carriage and Ingrid was forced to temporarily abandon her days training with a lance and rolling around with her friends.

Henrik had thought it would do some good for her to see how nobles and royals were supposed to behave in other parts of Fódlan, how unlike her the other kids were. The thing was, his plans went completely astray when there was a sudden change in arrangements and, due to the Emperor falling ill, him and his daughter were sent to an inn instead of the Enbarr palace for accommodations. Moreover, they would be escorted to the Mittelfrank – and around the city the next morning – by a handful of nobles who were aiding Ionius in those trying times, instead of by the royal family itself.

Sure, it was enough for Count Galatea to be recognized and held in high esteem by prominent nobles of other Houses that weren’t House Hresvelg itself. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t a bit miffed at that change of plans, in a sense. He had wanted little Ingrid to interact with the vast Imperial family (or so it was heard, anyways, now he would never know if the rumors about those eleven kids were actually real) and notice how… wayward her demeanor was sometimes.

He counted himself lucky the House of Fraldarius had agreed to marry off Glenn to his sweet daughter. But then, regardless of her ideals and beliefs, as long as she was able to keep their Crests going, keeping their lineage on, it would all be fine. With that in mind, he turned to look at his grumpy, fierce daughter and chuckled in delight. Such strength and fierceness, he thought. Yes, she was just the right one to be entrusted with a crest of her own. The Goddess did choose wisely after all.

There was silence as they went inside the Opera House per se, finally being able to break away from the line and stand around. Henrik couldn’t stop himself from watching how grandiose the place was and how nicely decorated, too, with so torches on the walls, as well as some little spheres of white magic here and there, trapped inside round, glass containers positioned between candles. The effect was that both cool, blueish white and warm, yellow light mingled and turned the building into a mimic of the night sky, in a way.

It didn’t take long for him to spot two men and their children, who were dressed way better than everybody else in that place.

One of them was tall and lanky, hard edges to his cheeks and light green eyes which were mirrored in his clothing style, which consisted of black furred tunic (in that weather?), dark shirt with some glittering silver details, black trousers and leather shoes. What with how pale his skin was and how dark and oily his hair seemed to be, the overall effect was of regarding something maleficent and ephemeral. The kid which sulkily stood beside him wore a similar outfit and the effect was that one was looking at a younger and older version of the same person.

The other man was shorter and stocky, soft whereas his companion was sharp. His head was bald, shining under one of the magical lanterns and the few remnants of his ginger hair covered his nape and the spot around his ears. His eyes were of an equal tone and had a sheen of its own, as if he had just gotten a much-awarded promotion or something of the sorts. His garments were a mixture of red and golden that made him look as royal as the Emperor in some way, though he lacked the posture to be as imposing. The child by his side was almost taller than the man, his chin length, thick hair a complete contrast to his father’s lack of it. He seemed excited and couldn’t help but gush about everything to the other boy, who either rolled his eyes at it or would say something that would make him shut up for a few seconds.

They were introduced as Marquis Vestra and Duke Aegir, their kids as Hubert and Ferdinand von Aegir (as the boy was quick to announce, a tad too loud as well). Ingrid politely said her name, but neither bowed nor gave them much attention, even when Ferdinand tried making small talk with her or Hubert asked what a Kingdom noble was doing in Enbarr to begin with. The latter boy was more observant, careful too, though sometimes it was clear to see that both him and Ingrid would rather be anywhere else but there.

As they went inside the theater itself and sat down side by side on plush, crimson chairs, with the kids by the end of the row and Ingrid between the two boys, the adults began talking about politics and she did her best to block it all out. Once her back hit the cushioned seat, she quickly opened her notebook and her pen, then proceeded to write even if that was considered unlady-like or rude since there were other kids around her.

“Oh, you’re a writer then?” Ferdinand exclaimed. “That’s so… ‘and the knight swopt down from the Pegasus and places her feet on the veranda, then with a swift movement yanked the helmet away from her face to reveal that she was a girl, not a boy, but stronger than the strongest of the knights from before. She was happy when the woman in front of her smile…’”

“Hey!” Ingrid yelled, making both boys snap to attention. A small blush colored her cheeks at that; after all, it had been the first time someone had read her work. “Who let you read it?”

“A girl knight?” The kid to her left commented with an amused grin. His name was Hubert, if she could remember it correctly. “That would be uncommon in Faerghus, would it not?”

“Hm… to a point, yes. We do have them, especially since Saint Seiros herself was one, but it isn’t as common.” She answered, glad to have something else to talk about than her amateur work. Not that she minded that her writing wasn’t really good; those stories were for her eyes alone and she had never intended for anyone to read them. She was thankful the boy to her right had remained silent after her scolding.

“In the Empire we do not have knights at all. It feels a bit too outdated to say the least. I fail to see why women couldn’t be knights, though. Alas, I know better than our fathers and do not wish to discuss politics and cultural differences amongst our nations.” Hubert commented, a thoughtful look on his face. “Just a few words of advice? Keep your tenses clear, you did mix past and present verbs in one same sentence. And the past of sweep is ‘swoop’, not ‘swopt’.”

Ingrid didn’t really know what to do in that moment, though etiquette did call for her to thank him. That was exactly why she simply huffed at the boy and turned back to her notebook, swiftly crossing out words to adapt her writing to one tense only. She was glad that no one seemed to talk about it anymore, even if Ferdinand did try reading over her shoulder once or twice more; on both occasions, she leered at him until that stopped.

So it went on, until the lights around the theater gradually became dimmer and an instrument sounded a long, dull note in the audience. The others followed suit, with the piano giving them a base or something to rely on as they made sure everything was tuned out perfectly. Ingrid sighed at that and the loss of light, but did her best to keep on writing, the noise nothing more than a background lullaby to her brain – though she was thankful people soon stopped talking, too. Chattering did distract her more than anything.

However much she squeezed her eyes, there was a point when it did get too dark for her to see anything at all, thus she ceremoniously closed her notebook with a thud and put away her quill, placed both over her lap and let her legs dangle back and forth in exasperation. She only wanted it to be over and soon.

She was mildly tired after a day spent unpacking in the inn and walking around the city, getting to know it better in a sense and wanted nothing more than to grab dinner and go to bed. But no, she mentally grumbled, rolling her eyes while Ferdinand almost squeaked in delight beside her once the lights were completely off. Now she would have to watch that damned thing and sit still, as well. She missed sparring, training with her lance and getting closer to the pony Glenn had given her a few months ago. She missed the chilly weather that had already taken over her lands, despising the warmth they had found in the Empire. And more than anything else she wanted –

Her internal complaints were silenced in one second, when other lights came in from somewhere behind the audience and illuminated the stage with its dark blue tone. The scenario was painted in gloomy dark colors, but it certainly depicted mountains and a fortress of sorts. There were shiny dots around it to symbolize the stars and it did feel like she was staring at that place, not at a play. Her emerald eyes widened and she had to admit that looked very well done. Pretty, in a way.

It was Ingrid’s first time seeing something like that, so it was natural for her to be a bit surprised with how it went. It was astounding how music accompanied pretty much everything and gave an extra impact to the words which were spoken and, more often than not, sung. How the so-called diva of the Mittelfrank, a woman with waist-length, curly white hair who was wearing a long black dress with shining silver armor, had indeed a very lilting voice that made her want to hum, too.

Hell, there was even some swordplay in the entire thing! That part was really exciting and had her gripping the arms of her seat in anticipation. She wanted Princess Corrin to win no matter what, silently cheered for who she thought of as a warrior queen (then filed that idea away for one of her future stories) and was really sad when she chose the kingdom of Hoshido over her adopted family at Nohr.

It wasn’t bad, like she had expected it to be, honestly. Almost as if she were seeing one of the tales she adored (and she did enjoy the Chronicles of Fates a bit more than any other kid, mostly because Corrin was a knight and a princess in her eyes) put on display, given a life of its own through the voices and bodies of talented singers, actors and musicians.

At the end she was actually having a lot of fun, always searching for the so-called child prodigy that they head a lot about. Ingrid knew she was playing Elise, Corrin’s little sister from Nohr, and had heard her speak her lines in a bit of a fearful way in the beginning, before making Ingrid’s heart hurt when she gave her lines an extra tinge of sadness at the scene where Corrin had to pick a side.

Unfortunately, the fact that they had decided to depict Hoshido’s side of the story meant Elise didn’t get as much stage time, but she was also seen in the choir once or twice, her own green eyes completely unmistakable even amidst the other singers (it also happened that she was the youngest and smallest of them). That was fine, Ingrid knew Elise had a very sad part almost at the end of that tale – yes, she had memorized the entire thing after reading it one too many times.

Her eyes widened in shock when that scene did finally come and the little girl, who she would later find out was named Dorothea Arnault, shone brighter than everyone else in that stage. Even more than Manuela Casagranda, the resident diva, at least in Ingrid’s eyes. Her voice powerful and full of lament while singing about how Corrin’s departure had devastated their entire family. The mourning and yearning in it when she almost begged her sister to reconsider. Then the meek, tragic ending after everything else failed. All the time her much younger, yet grand voice was supported by that of Manuela, creating an incredible duet which made something inside of her twitch.

Even though Ingrid knew what was going to happen, she couldn’t help the rivulet of emotion that took her over when it finally did, even more so since it was depicted in such an emotional, intense and encompassing way. By a child no older than she was, as well. The fact that tears stung her eyes awed her, but a swift glance around revealed that she wasn’t the only one crying- and that somehow the creepy boy that had been to her left was gone, though she couldn’t recall when.

Nothing else held her attention for the rest of the performance, but she suspected that moment would be forever etched in her mind. So that when it was finally over and some grownups sprung to their feet in order to applaud, she was the first of the children to do the same and almost let her notebook and quill fall to the ground. The sudden thought when she saw them and remembered the few lines she had written before lights went out gave her an idea, and she decided to go with it no matter what.

“Dad, is it ok if we talk to the actors after a play?” She inquired as they started lining up again in order to leave the amphitheater.

Whereas Duke Aegir and Marquis Vestra smiled at her, though both actions were forced and the latter father was still trying to find where his son was since he had yet to return, Count Galatea frowned and thought about it. It wasn’t as if he had too much experience with such events, if he were being honest.

“I think it’s ok, my love. Did you see the little girl that was there? Amazing, wasn’t she?” He commented, more to the other men than to his daughter.

“Ah yes, a blooming talent, I would say.” Duke Aegir replied, smirking. “She will more than likely be quite a beauty when she grows up. Give her a few more years.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how predictable you are.” Marquis Vestra sneered, his eyes swirling around the now alight theater. “Now where in all the hells has my son gone to?”

“I can help locate him if you would like me to, Mister – ah, there you are, Hubert.” Ferdinand began, the moment they were out of the door and into the Entrance Hall. The brooding boy had just joined them there, it seemed. “Where have you been? Your father was worried.”

“I got lost on my way back from the toilet.” Hubert answered, nonchalant, after sending an almost challenging look Marquis Vestra’s way.

To say nobody bought that excuse was an understatement, but it was too late for a rebuttal anyways. He knew he would more than likely be scolded in private, though, but it was ok. It had been worth the risk.

“Now if you wish to go, little Ingrid, I do think you should try making it backstage soon. I don’t think the actors will linger around for too much longer.” Duke Aegir informed her, then beamed when she gave the man a thankful nod and darted away.

It was indeed harder than she had imagined to run in that dress, even if it wasn’t as tight as some of the clothes she had spotted women wearing to the premiere. Or maybe the fault was in her shoes, but in any case she carefully made her way down one of the stairs beside the seats, arching her eyebrow a bit when she saw two girls ducking underneath chairs close to where they had been sitting.

Never mind that most people were trying to get outside and she was completely in their way. Nothing would stop her from doing what she had to.

When she was face to face with the stage, she stopped for a second to get her bearings and knew there was no way she would be able to either jump or climb that small distance due to her ridiculous clothes. Luckily she found some steps leading upstage from the side, partially hidden behind heavy-looking, crimson drapes that had yet to be closed. She took her chance before someone from the crew could get there and stop her, then had a second to admire the scenario that remained there after the actors and singers had curtsied for the last time, that of the ruins of Nohr and its main castle. The image of a dark fortress going down in flames something she could play with in her own writing, she was sure.

If only she could write a story like that… a beautiful knight with long, golden hair shining under the sun, glistering in the dark as her weapon, the Relic of Lüin, was brandished in her hands and stroke down her enemies, while another maiden fair watched from afar…

“You lost?” A small voice came from behind her, making her yelp in surprise at the interruption.

It was one of the kids she had seen crouching under the seats before, when everyone had been running out of the theater. Now it was empty instead for the two of them and sounds of conversation, which came from somewhere behind the stage and another place beyond the doors. Ingrid had a moment to wonder how long she had been staring at the scenario and daydreaming about yet another story.

“Hm no, I… I just wanted to see the singers, that’s all.” She answered, glancing into a pair of careful, guarded cornflower blue irises and the older kid’s demeanor. She looked too much on edge for a child, Ingrid thought.

“I can take you there. C’mon.” The stranger said, then turned away and started walking, didn’t wait to see if the blonde was following – which she did, after a moment’s hesitation.

She was taken through what looked like a labyrinth of dark hallways, with them turning left or right here and there. It wasn’t long before they found a place with better illumination, candles lit all over the walls and revealing to her a huge, rectangular room that all actors seemed to share. It was lined with mirrors, tables and chairs all around the perimeter, but that was where the orderliness ended. Clothes, bags, costumes and props were scattered everywhere, making it a rivulet of colors and stimuli that made Ingrid feel dizzy after meandering through dark corridors with nothing but another kid as a guide.

And she had to admit, for such a famous place as the Mittelfrank, if that was what they called “backstage”, then they were certainly lacking for private rooms and so forth. In it was part of the cacophony of sounds they had heard from before as all of the cast did their best to remove wigs and makeup in front of the mirror while giggling, gossiping and congratulating one another on an amazing premiere.

“Anyone in particular?” The silent child asked, yet again surprising Ingrid given how quiet, yet how powerful her voice seemed to be.

“Oh hm… that… girl who played Elise. That one.” The blonde said as she spotted the person she was talking about and pointed, watched in awe as the girl in question took away a wig and shook free rivulets of cascading, shiny dark brown hair.

“Dorothea!” The kid yelled, half making her way through other performers to get the brunette’s attention. “A fan.”

The moment Ingrid’s emerald irises met Dorothea’s green ones, it was as if all the air had left the blonde’s body. She didn’t even notice that the blue-haired girl had already left, going back to the stage area in a rush. All she could see was the little songstress jumping to her feet and meandering towards her, a huge smile in her face, a face that was even prettier without all the makeup that had been on it before.

“Hey, thanks for coming all the way back here for me.” Dorothea said after she was squarely in front of a blushing Ingrid, who couldn’t believe her lucky stars and was merely able to stare at the girl who had sung so beautifully only a few minutes ago.

“It is- it is nothing, really. I hm…” Ingrid didn’t understand what was going on or why she was unable to articulate a sentence. Why she was fidgeting badly with her notebook and quill, too. “I wanted to say, con-congratulations for your performance. You have a very beautiful voice.”

“Heehee, thank you.” Dorothea preened, moving her body from side to side. A small blush took over her cheeks and her heart had yet to stop beating so fast. Her first show and it was over. She was far from being proud of her act, but Manuela had told her it was normal to not like it so much the first few times.

“I- I know it’s nothing, but I want you to have these.” Before she could lose her sudden bravado, Ingrid extended her arms and offered the notebook and quill to the young star. The one with her silly drawings and the silly story about a knight who happened to be a girl. And who also happened to fall in love with a songstress while on guard duty of a theater.

Dorothea’s face was shocked as she watched the two very beautiful objects, especially the pristine white quill. Her own hands were quivering when she slowly got them, noticing how warm and foreign they were. Almost as if humming with an energy of their own.

“Are you- are you sure I can have them?” She inquired, touched by that small act. Although she had gotten some flowers from other actors and nobles before the performance even started (more gifts than she would be able to count ever since she joined the Mittelfrank) that once seemed special, somehow. More… personal and important, in a way.

Ingrid nodded, for a second unable to say something. “I’m not good at… writing, but I hope you like the story too.” She whispered, looking at the dark wooden floor, the low ceiling, the other actors who ogled their interaction with amused smiles, everywhere but on the kid in front of her. The one who had so perfectly given life to her beloved Elise. “Well I won’t take any more of your time! Thanks for…”

“Wait, please!” Dorothea exclaimed, the moment the blonde had turned to walk away. “What’s your name?”

“Ingrid. I’m Ingrid Brandl Galatea. It was nice to make your acquaintance.” She said, beaming a little and curtseying deeply, as if she were one of the knights in her own stories, one that was saluting a beautiful lady that they liked.

The fact that it was the first time in her life she had acted so noble-like wasn’t lost on her, either, but that was a different matter for another day. For that small moment she was more than glad to watch the young singer giggle at that, then take the few steps between them before planting a small peck on her cheek. “Thank you, my Ingrid.”

The blonde was in such a daze when she went back to her father and the other nobles waiting in front of the theater than she didn’t even realize she was missing her jade necklace until they pointed it out.

“Have you seen anything suspicious so far, Byleth?”

The spectacle was about to begin and, as promised, Manuela had gotten the two of them seats way in the back off the room. Since they were part of the crew, they had also been allowed to get in a lot earlier than everyone else. That day had also been reserved for last minute adjustments and they weren’t as needed as before.

That meant they had crept to their places before the main doors were even open for the audience and kept fooling around in the back of the theater, mockingly going through scenes and songs on their own, usually in a goofy manner that made Stephen laugh when he passed by and watched them go.

It was all fun and games until they were told to stand still since the public was about to go in. The change to their mood was instantaneous, their smiles dissolving and becoming expressions of alarm that went completely over the director’s head. The same happened when they ran and hid underneath their seats, doing such a good job at it that it was indeed quite impossible to say they were there – that is, unless another child approached and did take a look. It was rare for kids to go to the Mittelfrank in any case.

Funny enough, on that night alone three had gone in, the auditorium almost completely full for that premiere. And although such things were common or first nights, it had been a while since Stephen had seen such a talkative crowd, one that was eager to watch and judge the new addition to the Mittelfrank.

One that the hidden girls were also risking everything to appraise, as it seemed. They only emerged from underneath their places when the lights were completely off and everyone was already waiting for the spectacle to start. Sure, that did mean they scared the hell out of the people who had seats next to theirs, but that was fine. Just a small price to pay for an opportunity to see their friend without getting them in danger.

Byleth glanced sideways at the princess and shook her head – not that they had been in a position to see much of anything to begin with, but that didn’t matter. She would prove a lacking protector if she weren’t able to feel tension in the air. And while there was some, she couldn’t really tell from where that came.

What she could tell, however, was how tired Edelgard already looked, in a way that was new and unexpected, too. They had had a good night of sleep all things considered, after soothing a fretful Dorothea and assuring her everything would be more than fine, and their day hadn’t been that stressful or busy. Yet the smaller girl was doing her best to suppress yawns (and failing miserably at that) and keep her eyes open even. That was, when a sneeze or two didn’t wake her all of a sudden.

“You sleepy?” Byleth inquired in a whisper, patting her own shoulder in an inviting way.

“No, it, hm, it is fine. Perhaps the stress from the last few months is finally making itself known.” Edelgard replied, averting her eyes from the older thief and focusing them on the stage, which had just been lit up. “See, there goes Dorothea, on the first scene no less. She is nervous, though, can you tell?”

_You’re nervous though, I can tell_ , Byleth thought, but said nothing and simply nodded at that, feeling that it would be fruitless to disagree and start an argument in the middle of the play. They had requested tickets in order to watch the little singer, right? So that was what they would do.

They were so wrong about that, however. Soon enough someone two rows down from them turned around and Edelgard had to stifle her gasp of surprise at seeing her vassal, Hubert von Vestra, glancing up at them as if it were the most natural thing in the world and they had arranged to meet in that place to begin with.

“Your mage…” Byleth began as she also caught the sudden movement and turned to look down. Her face was inscrutable, just as his in a way, and even through her tired stupor the princess had to gawk at how similar they were in that prospect. “He wants to talk. We should go outside though, too many peop- Eldegard?”

The girl’s face had become incredibly pale, as if all blood had rushed out of her cheeks and into her feet. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated due to the darkness and more purple than their usual lilac. Her body was taut, rigid, as if she were about to spring to her feet and run. As if she had seen something else she would rather not.

The well-dressed, imposing men sitting beside the children might have been reason enough, Byleth thought once she noticed their presence. Yes, they would definitely have to get out of there before something bad happened.

It did take a while for Hubert to rise in a fluid movement and walk away from his row, his form as silent as a shadow so that few noticed he was gone. The girls were quick to follow suit, with Byleth leading Edelgard by the arm and making sure she didn’t stumble over any steps or other clutter that had been thrown to the floor since the princess still hadn’t taken her gaze away from those men. Thus El didn’t even feel it as she was pulled outside of the theater in the middle of one of Manuela’s main sword fighting scenes, then into the Entrance Hall and out to the chilly air.

The night was calm, silent outside of the buzzling Opera House. There were none to only a few people on the streets, but even so Byleth decided it was better for them to meet on the small garden which stood beside the building, a little out of view and hidden from the main door just in case. Better safe than sorry always, even more so with a setting like this.

It didn’t take long for Hubert to join them. He had to force himself to maintain an expressionless face after taking one look at his liege. That didn’t mean he was able to keep concern away from his voice, though: “Lady Edelgard, I am pleased that the circumstances have aligned for us to meet, but allow me to inquire on your well-being.”

“Hm? It… it is fine, Hubert, and I do agree that it is quite interesting that we got to encounter like that.” The princess replied after shaking her head, leaning against the nearest wall for support. She couldn’t understand his worry, though. Manuela had taken a look at her and deemed her ok, only a bit under the weather since it was starting to get cold. “What brought you here?”

“My father and Duke Aegir have been asked to escort a Kingdom noble to the Mittelfrank as a way to be diplomatic, I am afraid.” He answered with a grimace, knowing she would more than likely grasp the importance of this information without him saying everything.

The fact that she silently stared at him for a few seconds before her hooded eyes lightened up, a bit worrisome in itself. “Oh, why them? There is no reason for those two to be handling a delicate endeavor such as that. My father or even Marina should be the ones overseeing this. Unless… Hubert, how are things in the palace?” Her voice dropped at the end, more due to a premonition of sorts than anything else.

“It pains me to say this but… dire.” His face fell, eyes focusing on the floor between the little triangle they had formed. For the unknowing passerby, they were just three children whispering secrets into the night. “A few days ago your siblings were sent away to different estates or to be with their mothers. Everyone that isn’t one of the dastards that have now taken residence inside the palace and their own servants is forbidden to walk without an escort, or to leave their quarters at all. The same applies to your father.”

“Dastards?” Byleth asked, liking the sound of that new word. Hubert’s eyes fluttered over her ever so slightly before going back to rest on his mistress.

“I do now know much about them, sadly. I myself have been kept to my room after escaping and coming here before. It is a miracle I was allowed outside for the day, but then my father has to keep up appearances I presume.” He scowled, crossed his arms and huffed. His disdain for the man was as clear as day. “Those people walk around in dark hoods and seem to be mages, though if my senses are right then their powers are far more ominous than mine will ever be.”

“For you to say that…” The older thief began, but one of the boy’s scathing glances was enough to stop her, even if the sentence had made Edelgard giggle.

“I have not been able to see enough of them, but if the few times I have were enough, they are in friendly terms with my father, your uncle and Duke Aegir.” He concluded, brooding. “What is more, this Aegir fool has taken up permanent residence in the palace as well and has been with the Emperor more often than it would be fit for a noble whose only talent is doing nothing of importance.” He left unsaid the part about Ferdinand wanting to pester him all day long, even though he wasn’t allowed inside Hubert’s quarters anyways. He knew that would make either of them tease him one way or the other.

“What of my father? How has he been faring?” The princess asked, doing her best to both remain standing and make sense of that situation. Strange people flooding the castle while her siblings were kept in different places. That did not smell good, but she didn’t want to jump into conclusions like that. The palace had always been full of nobles to begin with; maybe those were just some invitees from her uncle’s lands.

Only to almost hit herself square in the forehead when she realized that, if it was actually the case, that didn’t make things any better due to how strange Lord Arundel had been acting.

“He has been recluse as well. I have neither heard nor seen much of anything going on around the place during waking hours. While Marina has been kept in Enbarr, I do think she and the Emperor are being kept away as well, but I shall try to verify that information after tonight.” He replied, a bit of guilt panging in his heart at the notion that, again, he hadn’t had much to tell her. “Now please, if you would be so kind to tell me about your latest endeavors. I take it that Manuela Casagranda has granted you three a place in her house?”

Since Edelgard remained silent, simply pondering over the facts he had just told her, Byleth was the one to answer his question, a hand squeezing the princess’s all the time. It wasn’t hard to make out the tension and sadness that had been added to the smaller girl’s thoughts over a few minutes’ worth of conversation. She knew the princess was feeling some sort of regret, too, at not being able to do something about the entire matter.

She wanted to know the right words to console her, but words had always failed the older thief. So she had to hope actions would be more than enough to convene what she was thinking in that moment in time. To reach Edelgard and hold her close, just as they physically did whenever they shared a bed or were too distraught to deal with the outside world.

The action becoming reality when, after she was done talking and Hubert deemed it would be safer for the two of them to return soon, as he wanted to conduct some investigations of his own and eavesdrop around the theater, Edelgard turned to her vassal and said in a small, meek voice:

“Once you see my siblings, do let them know I am with them in thoughts. That I have never left them alone, nor will I for as long as I draw breath. And tell them that… I am sorry for everything.”

Byleth embraced her as she frowned, the weight of unshed tears in her eyes. Tears that came not only due to sadness, to missing the family she had been plucked from for her own safety, but also thanks to the uncertainty of it all. Of not knowing how to respond to what was going on, or what the future could possibly entail for the House of Hresvelg. That despair etched her steps and her features, made her lilac eyes become deep purple, a darker hue than before. 

Hubert nodded and, in a rare demonstration of physical affection, placed his hand on her back and squeezed once before walking away. They followed suit and were back in their places just in time to watch and hear Dorothea’s lament in her duet with Manuela, as Elise and Corrin.

It would be an understatement to say that the sadness and depth that empowered Dorothea’s voice found an echo inside Edelgard’s chest and heart, an echo that not even being in Byleth’s warm embrace could completely chase away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Before going for some chapter rambles, a little note about future updates. I'll start posting this fic once every two weeks and alternate it with the other long fic I have going on xD so yeah, it'll still be weekly updates from me, but one story, then the other, and so on. My (firstly non-existent) idea board has gotten a bit... cluttered lol and I wanna work on those fics that keep yelling at me as well.
> 
> Now about the chapter...  
> And there we go, Dorothea finally gets to live her dream after all (more on her perspective about the performance will come next chapter) and also a little Manuela-Byleth moment because these two do deserve it.   
> It was a delight to add little writer Ingrid and her quest for being a knight. Why was the Kingdom nobility invited to the Opera, though? And also, what the hell is going on at the Enbarr palace?  
> Well, all I can say is that changes are coming and soon mwahahaha
> 
> Thanks for reading, everyone :3


	16. Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothea reminisces about her performances in general and the last one. Later on she and Byleth meet a tired Edelgard, who has been showing a few signs of fatigue for some days.  
> Things get a little more interesting once Byleth attempts to do something about the entire matter.

Dorothea felt her voice straining at the end of her duet with Manuela and of yet another performance. Her forehead was streaked with sweat, something she had grown used to after the third or fourth time, as it had never happened before, not even during the giant rehearsals they had done prior to the premiere. Her eyes stung due to sadness, courtesy of the piece of herself she would add to her own character’s woe, the tears genuine and every bit as painful as if she had been talking about her issues and not Elise’s.

But then, in a sense she was and had been doing so since the first time she had sung to an audience, one that paid good money to watch her and the others at the Mittelfrank. Slowly she had found out that singing was another outlet to words she would rather not say out loud, to wounds she didn’t want to reveal to her friends and guardian. Not that those people she loved didn’t know they were there; they had watched it all happen and heard her complain about things more than once.

No, what she didn’t want was to show them those bruises still hurt and had yet to completely fade, to become at best pinkish, healed skin and at worst a bad scar. She had to hide that they were bleeding, taking over her dreams and twisting them into nightmares of being abandoned, of being deemed unfit and chased away from the house she had shared with her parents, from the Mittelfrank and even from Manuela’s place. Hell, sometimes she was shunned from Enbarr itself, having to outrun a crowd that carried torches and hurled insults after her.

While all of those were scary per se, it was better when what showed up was a mass of faceless people trying to hurt her in those nightmares. She definitely woke up shaking and crying a lot more when the horde was made of individuals she could identify, people she held dear to her heart.

Goddess, she would indeed shatter if Byleth, Edelgard, Manuela and even director Aureus were to do something horrible like that, to even look at her with rage in their eyes or well, not look at her at all. The fate of being ignored or forgotten was at times seen as worse than that of being hated, in a sense.

Thus when Dorothea sang, she poured those nightmares that had been left unsaid. The pain of witnessing her mother’s death and her inability to do anything at all to help. The uncertainty of the future, of how much longer Manuela would bear as their guardian, before tiring of them and saying they had been preying on her. And some sort of intuition, that she was nowhere close to her happy ending just because she was finally making her sweetest dream come true and performing in the Opera Company.

If nothing, she somehow knew that was only the beginning, not the end.

Dorothea had yet to like any and all of her appearances on the stage and this one was no exception. As the lights dimmed and she darted away after her final apparition (she didn’t really have to sing in the choir, though Stephen had let her know her voice was pretty much appreciated on it), she scowled and made her way through the narrow hallway, back to the common room performers used to apply makeup and chat between scenes. She shook her head at herself as she meandered, her pace and thoughts a lot heavier than usual. Manuela had said it was rare for first shows to go well, or for everyone to get everything right at once.

However, what did it mean that Thea had already lost count of their acts and had yet to enjoy one of them? She sighed, made a mental list of her faults as she came into the room and was saluted by several other singers and actors, who cheered and hooted for her. The smile that set on her lips was just as natural as the one she flashed the audience on her worst days. On those moments when she was scared and alone, after terrible nights filled with bad dreams and days ruled by chores and practices that were unable to take away the feeling that something was about to happen.

It was silly to think about that, but that premonition still came anyways. She pushed it aside and answered the compliments she was showered with, beaming, shaking her head at whoever called her “amazing”, “singing on point as always” and “just angelical, even if it makes me cry” and fell into a chair with less grace than she ought to, but that was received by giggles instead of disapproving stares.

They were all tired and their season was only starting. Things would get better after the initial weeks of performance after performance, but still. There was a lot to be done, to be analyzed and perfected for future endeavors. Rehearsals were still taking place during mornings and afternoons, so there was almost no rest at all. It was a legit wonder how Manuela managed to not tire after so many years in the company.

“Something in your mind?”

Dorothea’s thoughts – and the mental list of failures she had been making – were interrupted by a soft, well-known voice that made her smile again. The involuntary act didn’t fool Byleth, she knew, but it was almost as if she couldn’t control it anymore. She wanted to seem ok no matter what. No one liked a sad child, even more so when she should be happy to be there, doing what she was. What so many dreamed to do, too.

“Oh it’s hm, nothing. Nothing important actually.” Thea hedged, finding their different clothes something amusing. Whereas she was still in costume and makeup, Byleth was wearing a complete black ensemble that had been her uniform since the premiere. Although she wasn’t expected to, as she and Edelgard were informal members of the crew, she still dutifully put it on each and every morning, as if it were something important. Well, black did look good on her anyways. “And you, how’s your evening going?”

“Same as always.” She shrugged, nonchalant. Her eyes set somewhere on the little songstress’s chest; she giggled a little before pointing and adding: “Stephen let you use it?”

“Use what?” Dorothea tilted her head to the side, unsure of what she was talking about until she looked down and realized she had something on that hadn’t originally belonged to her costume. “Oh Goddess, I forgot this was here. Ugh I hope he doesn’t kill me.”

After getting a quill and a notebook (with a wonderful little story about a knight who fell in love with a songstress written on wobbly, childish scribbles on it) from that cute kid, Ingrid, she was surprised with yet another gift. That one came from Byleth and it was a necklace made in silver, with a beautiful pendant shaped like a sun and made of a nice green stone. Edelgard had later on identified it as jade, then narrowed her eyes at Byleth and asked where she had gotten it. The thief simply shrugged and said she had probably stolen it before they got to Manuela’s house, but none of them actually fell for that.

In any case and regardless of where it had come from, Dorothea loved that necklace more than anything in the world. The silver was cool against her skin in the morning, as she rose from bed and clasped it on by herself. The sun, albeit done in a weird color, gave her a sense of calm, of accomplishment and of fighting for what she wanted. It had become her lucky charm and it was rare for her to be seen without it. No wonder it had made its way into her performance too, though usually she carried it inside a pocket and not on full display.

“Looks good on ya. With your eyes and all.” Byleth said, then handed her a basin of water and a tissue for makeup removal. She had started tending Dorothea completely unprompted, but it surely had made Stephen and Manuela content to see them bonding over costume changes and post-scene nerves. “How you feeling? You have something on your mind right?”

The young songstress mentally cursed as she dipped the white cloth into the water and gently applied it to her face, brushing away powder and other products alike. She loved the process of putting on makeup, delineating her eyes and dusting her cheeks with crimson, as if adorning them with powdered roses, but taking it off was always a pain. The same could be said for costumes: lovely to be put on and play dress up, when she was excited and couldn’t wait for the performance to being, a bore to take out afterwards, as her mood was sullen and she was counting how many mistakes she had made in one night alone.

“Eh, I’m fine I guess.” She said at last. Although the older thief knew better than to pry, she wouldn’t take silence for an answer. “I’m just tired of making the same mistakes on the stage every single night. I don’t even do those things during practice anymore!”

“Oh Little Bird, don’t be so hard on yourself because of that.” Another singer retorted in a soft voice; Dorothea recognized her as the one playing Camilla. They had a lot of scenes together and the kid had started warming up to her, in a sense. “It’s one thing to repeat your part and your solos without someone to judge you, another altogether when you’re out there, in full costume, a thousand eyes upon you. Even the most dedicated and seasoned performers have a tough time once they face an audience. You’re just starting.” The purple-haired woman gave her blonde wig a ruffle. “And if you ask me, you’re doing great and not only for someone your age.”

That time her smile was a little bit more genuine than the ones she had given before. It was always a delight to be seen as a performer regardless of her age (though it was fun when she was treated as a child prodigy too). It was a strange place she was in, all in all, but she liked it anyways. Even more so since she had apparently gone even beyond people’s initial expectations for her and Stephen had had nothing but praises to report to her as he read the critiques they had already gotten, some days ago.

“Yup, you doing fine. Maybe don’t be too tense.” Byleth commented, motioning to her shoulders. “They creep all the way up when you first sing and you get in your head a bit. Like Eldegard and the sword.”

They giggled at that, the episode still fresh in their minds and a reference for whenever someone was too fearful or thoughtful about something that didn’t deserve so much thought and attention. Dorothea felt herself loosening up a bit in the nice and safe cocoon of the common room, then looked around for a while and realized why she had thought something was missing.

“Speaking of, where is Edie?” She asked, wincing at how weird that was. The princess and the thief were pretty much glued at the hips, or like twins who could always be found together. So to see Byleth without the other girl was as unsettling as hearing someone sing off charts.

The feeling was strengthened when Byleth’s grin fell and was replaced by a worried look that made its way into her eyes, which was a rare occurrence all in all. “Resting in your changing room.”

Those words, albeit simple, hid a lot of feelings and unvoiced thoughts behind them, some of which Dorothea had experienced herself. They had watched Edelgard looking more and more tired all of a sudden for the last few days, even though she was sleeping the same and retiring earlier to her chambers. To the young singer, there had been no real change on important matters such as the princess’s sleeping and eating habits, at least none that she had caught on during that time period. On the other hand, the thief would have a different tale to tell if asked.

“Should we go to her? I gotta get out of these clothes anyways.” Thea suggested, letting her concern show as well, then getting to her feet even before she could hear an answer. She was scared about it, about all the little things that could be noticed in regards to Edelgard’s energy level as of recent, then wondered if it had started before and she had been unable to really see. Her routine did revolve around practice and there were days when she barely saw the other two throughout late mornings, afternoons and early evenings. When she had seen Edelgard, she did notice something was off about her, though.

It had been too easy to masquerade that worry, to let it be poured into song when she was on the stage. It was another matter altogether to have to face that, to be reminded of something she would rather not think about at all. Maybe they – and she, specifically – were reading too much into it. Maybe Edelgard was just tired of having to work, as before she had been a princess whose only priorities were to study and learn, not to do all of those other things.

The dressing rooms were located further away from the place they were in, if one were to go back to the narrow hallway that connected it to the stage and took a left instead of getting straight into the mess of the common room. That would lead to another corridor, one with more torches on the walls and seven small doors on each side. With the incredible number of artists working at the Mittelfrank, that meant only the performers in lead roles got a separate quarter to change and so on, but that was part of the Opera House culture in a way – and more often than not those people were willing to share with the ones that hadn’t been picked. They had been together for so long, it was almost like they were a family with a new, child addition.

In fact, Dorothea was sharing hers with Manuela since they were close and other actors had needed a dressing room for themselves too. Neither had objected to it when Stephen had told them about that arrangement and in the end it was better to have the diva help her with clothes, hair and makeup too. They would usually get ready while talking about whatever and making fun of each other, the other two girls and something that had happened at rehearsals.

Later on, when Dorothea became older, she would wonder if those conversations and the bantering hadn’t been intentional. If they hadn’t been Manuela’s way of calming her down and putting her at ease while making sure she was ready to hit the stage in full style. Even then, the child adored that and whatever topic they managed to discuss was always turned into a fun one.

As they walked through that second hallway, Thea smiled and remembered them laughing at Stephen’s choice of clothing for that evening, a purple coat with a starry pattern embroidered on it, over a crimson shirt and purple pants. The man was known for his love of high fashion – and for coming up with the most exquisite dressing statements ever – and the performers had grown so used to it they barely batted an eye. On that night, however, they had more than simply noticed and had to do their best to not laugh at him.

Sometimes his choices were a _tad_ too much after all.

They didn’t even bother knocking when they located the right door, the third one on the left, and simply bolted inside since Manuela was still at her scene and no one else was allowed in there anyways. The place wasn’t as big, but had a comfortable aura around it due to the candelabra that hung from the ceiling and illuminated a room done all in light wood, with a purple vanity big enough to cover the entirety of the left wall, a big, plushy (and occupied) chair in front of it, a gold, circular rug on the floor and a couch on the right side.

There was also a shelf opposite to the door which was full of gifts Manuela – and now Dorothea – had received throughout the years. The red carnations they had gotten from some nobles a few weeks ago had just been replaced by new ones, courtesy from the Hresvelg themselves alongside a card explaining the family’s inability to watch the spectacle anytime soon. Manuela had burned the parchment with some magic after giving it a cursory read, her lips thinning as she shot the princess’s a concerned glance. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to find that, given the fact she had indeed run away from an uncle.

The one piece of decoration that hadn’t always been in the room was the lump over the chair. Their frowns deepened as they immediately saw it and recognized Edelgard fast asleep, covered by the furs the diva had been wearing before changing into her costume. Her breathing seemed to be a little too fast, but Dorothea wanted to believe the furs weren’t rising and falling that quickly at all.

For a minute or so they just watched, unsure of what to do or if they even should do something about it. The matter wasn’t that Edie was tired and taking a nap when she was supposed to be helping those performers who had already ended their parts in the show. It was how often she had been seen yawning, dozing off against a wall and so on. Just that day, she had asked Manuela if it would be ok for her to remain at home in the evening and maybe she would have, if Dorothea hadn’t seen it as a major insult to herself.

After all, she did feel a lot better when both girls were there to support and watch her, even if they were doing so from the backstage.

“I talked her into coming.” Thea whispered, a note of self-hatred making its way into her tone. She hadn’t done it nicely, either, almost calling her wimpy and asking if the princess was sick of her voice already.

“It’s ok, nothing bad about it.” Byleth squeezed the songstress’s shoulder once before creeping closer to the chair, her steps as soundless as they had been when she had taught the other two how to be stealthy.

The memory was a fond one she would cherish forever, she knew. It had been a good day, all things considered, and at times she missed her freedom, though it was good to see Dorothea carving her place in the world and Edelgard having a house to live in. Though she wondered how good it was if they kept running into issues such as these.

“It’s not ok, Byleth. You saw the way I treated her.” Anger rose in her chest, though it was aimed at none other than herself. She should have listened to her friend instead of being so imposing, in a way. They had been there for every performance before that one, what was the deal if they missed it?

“You were joking right?” The thief mumbled as she got right in front of the sleeping princess and turned around to face a distraught singer. She knew that Dorothea could and sometimes would make a mess out of small stuff, but that really wasn’t the time. “So no harm done. Imma make sure she’s ok though, so you can change if you want.”

That was received with a nod and the sound of ruffling clothes, so Byleth went back to her charge and placed a hand on her forehead like she had seen Manuela do once. It was warm, not on an extreme, different or out of the ordinary way. Her skin was flushed but that was ok too, especially since she was using furs as blankets and it wasn’t that cold for one to need them.

The only thing left to do was to wake Edelgard up, which the thief did a bit grudgingly since she looked too peaceful and at ease in that moment, her mouth half open and breaths leaving it in small sighs. Nevertheless, Byleth softly shook her after deciding she could go to sleep again later, then watched the princess’s face close in annoyance as she turned away from that touch.

“Eldegard, wake up. Show’s almost over.” The older kid called, trying not to laugh at the way she grunted and tried making herself smaller, as if that would stop Byleth. “C’mon, we’ll go soon.”

“Please talk to me when we are about to go home, not before. I can hear Dorothea getting changed so you cannot fool me.” The princess retorted, her voice scathing albeit small. She just wanted to sleep some more, was it really a bad thing? The others were always so keen on keeping her awake as of recent, too. She couldn’t see what the harm was as long as she only did so when she wasn’t being needed and she kept out of everyone’s ways.

Which was exactly why she had gone to Dorothea’s and Manuela’s dressing room before sleeping, even though part of her had wanted to curl up on the floor, in the hallway itself. She knew how problematic it would be if she did so, though, and half-called herself names, half-dragged her weary body down backstage, sometimes placing a hand on the wall to help with balance until she found the door and almost collapsed against it.

It didn’t feel like she had been there for too long, cramped up in that small chair and cocooned in furs that belonged to Manuela, whose strong perfume had made her sneeze one too many times before. No, for Edelgard it was as if she had barely arrived there and closed her eyes, attempted to get comfortable only to be summoned by Byleth’s and Dorothea’s whispering.

She would be shocked if anyone told her she had been gone since two or three scenes after the opening, approximately three hours ago. Unknown to her, the older girl had been to the dressing room before and watched over her for a while, just to make sure she was indeed asleep and would be ok alone. Once that was established, Byleth had taken care of her own duties and the princess’s as well (which weren’t too different and revolved around helping one or two performers with their costumes and makeup).

Byleth was trying her best to not let concern eat away at her, the way she had seen it happen to Dorothea and Manuela when it came to their parts and solos at the show. She had always shook her head at adults who were prone to fretting and understood that she, as a kid, wouldn’t do the same because that was the way children were. The moment she met Edelgard that myth was broken, as she witnessed the princess worry too much about her family, her inability to convince her stealing was wrong or, later on, to do well in swords. The thief still kept her position that it was useless to keep thinking about possible scenarios – usually the worst ones, thank you very much – and that kids should be more immune to it.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t experiencing something like that herself while watching Edelgard’s growing signs of exhaustion and thought it was getting to a point that they should be taken seriously. Even if Manuela hadn’t found anything wrong with the girl a few days ago, that didn’t mean that still stood true. She would tell the diva to run another checkup the moment they were back home, but that didn’t mean she –

There was a knock to the door, which made all three of them to jump in their places. Even Edelgard bolted, eyes opening all of a sudden, tiredness gone from her face even if just for a small moment before her lids threatened to drop shut again. The thief scrutinized her for one second before turning back to the door and waiting for any sign of who it was.

“Are you girls in here? Is it ok for me to come in?”

Hearing Manuela’s voice made them relax, even though Dorothea had been in the process of removing her dress and was still fumbling with harnesses. “We are yeah, and do come in.” She answered, partially relieved that maybe that meant she would have help with that stupid costume.

“Thought you were better at taking that off now after…” Byleth comically put a hand to her chin and tilted her head in deep thinking, then missed Edelgard’s laugh once it didn’t come. The princess always giggled when she did stupid faces like that. She pouted at that, as Manuela came in and took the scene in front of her with a small chuckle. “Tenth performance now?”

“Thirteenth, dear, but some pieces of clothing are really devilish to be dealt with.” The songstress answered, already helping Thea with the harnesses and beaming at her. “You were amazing today, I can see that all of our breathing training hasn’t been in vain.”

Dorothea huffed, then nodded once the dress was pulled from her and she quickly scrambled into her usual satin red gown. It was the first one the diva had given her and a favorite, as apparently Edie was also a fan of that color. “I wasn’t though. My timing was off and I’m pretty sure I went over some notes in our duets, and then –“

“Hey, what did I tell you about trying to be perfect?” Manuela reminded, bopping her nose, then shot an examining glance to the bundle of furs over her chair that was more than likely Edelgard.

Ah right, she had been meaning to give her another run through, but between the extra practice they had been needing to do in order to accommodate the new pianist, the son of a small, rich family or something, and their usual rehearsals lasting for too long, she had ended up postponing and forgetting it. Also, there was always the chance the kid wasn’t sleeping well, or was coming a bit under the weather due to seasonal alterations – she had read quite a lot about those, on how the only thing to do was to allow the ill person to rest and provide them with plenty of liquid and nourishing foods.

At that moment, however, she felt a strong suspicion pierce through her heart, a knife which stabbed her over and over. It would certainly not be good if she had waited too long to intervene and now a kid was suffering with something more complicated than the sneezes.

In any case, she had to remind to herself that she was only one person and had three kids to attend, plus the expectations placed upon her as star of the Mittelfrank. As much as she loved performing and being on the stage, that was certainly the tradeoff she hated the most about the entire thing: having to look and act confident all the time, as if she held the answers to everything.

Cerys had been enough proof that she didn’t, nor did she want to pretend that it was the case. Nevertheless, it was intoxicating to be looked at with so much admiration and respect, even by the little kids who surrounded her in a cramped dressing room. One step at a time, though, she told herself. One child at a time, too.

“That perfection only exists in my head and it’ll never be achieved, cause hm, everyone sees it a different way.” Dorothea dutifully recited, her voice somewhat muffled as she slipped on her dress. She seemed tired, too, but the adult wondered how much of that wasn’t self-imposed, thanks to the several thoughts which ran inside the girl’s head. They would have to talk about it later, preferably sometime soon.

“Exactly. So please accept it when I tell you that you were amazing out there, it is the truth even if your brain doesn’t want to believe me.” Manuela said, bending her back so they could glance at each other’s eyes.

She had understood some of Thea’s rambles and the way she talked so badly about herself. So young, yet already with such a negative sense of who she was. It had torn at the woman’s heart, made it hurt anew with something that she recognized, that she knew was in herself as well. That evening, the one after their first performance, she vowed she would do everything in her power to make sure Dorothea would comprehend she shouldn’t loath herself so much – or at all. Or to need so many eyes on her to feel alive, either.

It was perhaps too late to save her own self, but there was a chance the same wasn’t true for the Little Bird.

“Thank you and sorry for making you have to repeat yourself again.” Dorothea mumbled, downcast, somehow finding her shoes more interesting.

“Hey, no apologizing for how you’re feeling either. You’re fine and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just don’t aim all of that hatred at you, ok?”

The moment she nodded, Manuela followed Byleth’s sad glance and all eyes were on Edelgard’s hunched form on the chair. Concern crossed the songstress’s face again, but she took a deep breath and cleared both her mind and her expression before approaching the sleeping princess. Nothing good would come if she were scared and let it show, right? She had to be the adult, the one who always helped and knew what to do.

She kneeled on the floor and waited, tried making out Edelgard’s face between all her furs but gave up after the attempt was futile. With as gentle hands as she could muster, she peeled them away and snickered when that was met with a small whine. Yes, she had done something good, she thought, then went on until her palms were around a small, warm cheek.

“Is it time for us to go, Mi- Manuela?” The small, raucous voice came again. The furs stirred – or rather, the child underneath them did – and soon a pale face and veiled lilac eyes could be seen over the blacks and whites. “How did the performance go today?”

“It went quite well, thank you.” The songstress replied, always surprised when that child showed her more respect and deference than anyone else had in her life.

It was indeed very nice to be treated like that, in a way. It was different than the lust that filled people’s eyes as they devoured her on the stage, on bars and taverns (for the times she went to those), parties and intimate café invitations. It was something akin to how Stephen and to an extent Dorothea regarded her with. She didn’t know what exactly felt so good about it, or how to call that sort of attention, but it was interesting to say the least.

“Now please get up, we’re going in a few minutes.” The diva said, then watched as both kids turned to look at their companion as if measuring what her next movements would be.

The sigh of protest that followed that was audible, even if it had been almost muffled by the princess’s training and the furs around her. Gingerly those improvised blankets were thrown away and Edelgard herself appeared, her eyes barely holding open, the black pants and blouse that befit a crew member ruffled and crooked, hair tousled and escaping from the low ponytail she herself had done and perfected to a degree.

“Sleep well?” Byleth inquired, stepping closer and holding out a hand, her smile more of a grin as she was probably trying to suppress giggles at that sight. One did not often spot Imperial princess Edelgard von Hresvelg that unkempt. Such occurrences should be noted down in an official document and signed by the Emperor himself, so rare – and comical – they were.

That didn’t mean all three of them would let that make them forget the main issue at hands, meaning what had caused her to be in such a state to begin with.

“N-no, there was no time for it. The two of you came in a minute or so after I stepped into the dressing room and covered myself.” Edelgard yawned and glanced at the others, unsure why they looked so appalled at her answer. “What, did I say something pre-pos-te-rous?” She still had a bit of trouble with that word and remembered the day she had learned it, too.

A day that had taken place too many weeks and months ago. She had thought nothing of it as it went by, the usual streak of lessons and meals coming and going as hours passed a bit too slow to her liking. On that day she had planned to sneak out with her little brother and grab some pie in the kitchen, then skip class and eat it while hidden at the Enbarr gardens. A tutor had yet to find any of them when they claimed trees as their hideouts and climbed as high as they could on the really bountiful ones.

That had indeed happened – she could almost taste the amazing pumpkin pie they had shared while hearing the peeved yells of their instructors from inside the castle, not so far away from where they were. Even if they were indeed found, which they weren’t, it would have been worth it only for the treat itself.

Funny enough, she had never been chastised for that, as she probably would have been the following day if Byleth hadn’t saved her life from her uncle, that was.

Now there she was, such a long time later. She could still recall so much from that day, but those memories often made her sad since she had never said goodbye to her siblings, nor had she known that it would be the last time they would have dinner together, play something afterwards and even have lessons together for a long while. She hadn’t known it wasn’t really just another day, but the last one in a way.

Edelgard wondered right then if there would ever come a time when the same would happen to their little setting, their little family of four. That she would one day wake up thinking it would be more of the same, only for things to go completely astray before she even acknowledged it, in the end losing the chance to say a proper goodbye again.

The thought made her shiver, though she was sure by the way Manuela, Dorothea and Byleth winced that her gesture had been understood in another way. Quickly, as if to cover for any admission of weakness, she grabbed the thief’s hand and beamed, moving around as much as she could in order to show that she was fine. It had been stupid of her to say that little statement about not sleeping enough. She had to not look tired, or weak, or wanting to take another nap after the short one she just had.

Otherwise they would start fretting about her and that was the last thing she ever wanted them to. Once had been enough, what with what happened to her due to Mrs. Bent Needle and all the harassing that it caused. Sure, they hadn’t seen the lady get fired, nor heard their screams of blasphemy echoing around the theater, since Stephen had talked to her the moment Manuela and Dorothea left. But Edelgard surely did not want to ever become a burden, someone who wasn’t doing anything of value or helping bring home some money.

Even if Manuela was keen to tell them she didn’t need any of their incomes and let them keep it, that didn’t mean El wasn’t feeling guilty about the whole thing. The woman was feeding, dressing and caring for them completely free and they weren’t even her family to begin with. Hence the first time the kids had gotten some money in their hands, all glittery golden and silver coins, they had separated three each and entrusted Byleth to put it somewhere the grownup wouldn’t notice at first, but could find and use later.

The princess wondered if the older kid had done as agreed or kept the money to herself, though she had seen the way Byleth and Manuela had gotten a lot closer after that drunken night a few weeks ago. It made her smile to notice that development, how they would joke around and laugh together when the thief started hiding bracelets and jewelries to different places instead of outright stealing them. It had become a game for the two, a way for the songstress to bond with Byleth as well.

Another thing had been Manuela’s request to study the sword with her, in a nondescript morning. That had been harder to work with, since Byleth usually went through Edelgard’s and her own drills while the adult was teaching Dorothea, and although all four of them were close, in the same stage, it wasn’t as if Manuela could just call for a break and grab a sword to spar with her charge, right?

Well why not? In the end that was exactly what had happened and what they had decided on. Whenever Dorothea and Edelgard needed a break or two – and they ended up asking for them at the same time after that day – the woman would get a sword from Byleth’s ridiculously huge weapon stash and they would go over some exercises or combat, to the other girls’ delight. It was nice to see them training and Manuela was surprisingly very good with it. Not as great as with healing magic, the once she was coaching Dorothea on weekends, but still.

Plus, it was extremely funny to see an adult woman failing to defeat an eleven-year-old over and over, which meant there were some good laughs thrown around during their practice time.

All in all, Edelgard adored the little routine they had fallen into and all developments they sometimes got within it, even if their days were mostly ruled by the Mittelfrank and its demands. That didn’t mean she wasn’t homesick at times, especially after hearing Hubert’s report in the premiere (only to be haunted by dreams and an anxious mind that couldn’t shut down at night and kept wondering what was really going on, why her uncle was acting like that and what lied in the Imperial family’s future). But wondering and fretting would take her nowhere and she knew better than to engage in either of those for too long periods of time. She just wished her mind would understand that idea and let her be.

“What’s up?” Byleth inquired beside her and she flinched, especially once she realized they were already in front of Manuela’s house and she had made the way home in a daydream filled with nice, sweet memories. Which was something completely unlike her, but better than feeling tired all the time anyways.

“N-nothing, really. It is good to be home, though.” Edelgard commented, wondering why Byleth and Manuela were holding her hands and looking at her as if she were the biggest liar alive. She hadn’t said anything off while they were walking back, had she?

“We have been calling you for the last ten minutes or so, sweetheart.” Manuela added, grimacing when those words were met by a gasp of surprise. She opened the door with her free hand and waved them in, almost coaxing Edelgard to follow. “And at times it seemed that you were about to fall, too.”

“I am truly sorry for the inconvenience.” The princess replied, feeling a blush spread through her cheeks at the knowledge that both Dorothea and Byleth were looking pointedly at her even while climbing the stairs. “I suppose I really need some sleep, so if you excuse me-“

“Oh, not so fast, young lady.” The woman stopped her with a firmer grasp on her wrist, one that didn’t hurt but only sought to contain. “I really want to examine you again, just to make sure everything is fine, ok? It’ll take no time at all and you’re free to sleep afterwards.”

For some reason, Edelgard wanted to shake her head, cross her arms and pout. Her body screamed at her to lie down and close her eyes, to call that a day and leave that stupid thing for tomorrow. If Manuela just wanted to make sure everything was fine, then it could wait, right? Her body could not, though, her legs threatening to falter at any second. Nevertheless, she nodded and sighed inwards, not wanting to show her annoyance and real thoughts about the entire matter like that.

After all, she should be thankful the songstress had taken them under her wing and was doing so much for all of them. Even more so for her, who had yet to become more useful in the theater and not stand on everybody’s way (or do the same things that Byleth already was, which made her more of a nuisance than anything else at least in her mind).

Thus she complied and walked to the couch instead of following her friends upstairs, sat down with a soft thud and waited for the woman to gather some books on physical examinations and other medical things before take a seat beside her as well.

“Do you want to talk about something, little one? You know you can, right?” Manuela began, placing the back of her hand on Edelgard’s forehead and humming in satisfaction at finding it a pleasant temperature.

“No, I am fine. There is nothing for you to worry about.” The child repeated, trying her best to keep all thoughts and worries of her family and what she had heard away from her mind, from her heart and definitely from her face.

Her attempts weren’t as successful as she wanted them to be, though, or maybe Manuela was more perceptive than people gave her credit for. That well-rehearsed sentence was received with a tut that made her aware hedging wasn’t going to help her in that setting.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to, but don’t try pretending that everything is fine. Goddess knows I had zero experience with children before the three of you and yes, you seem to be the tamer one in comparison. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, or that your issues aren’t worth it.” The adult replied, kneading softly on the sides of her neck in search of a lump.

There was indeed something there. The songstress’s eyes widened just the slightest bit, yet she hoped the kid wasn’t able to catch on it as her fingers kept probing for a while longer. It wasn’t enough to determine anything, but an indication nonetheless. “Does this hurt?” She inquired.

“A little bit, when you press too hard.” The princess answered, exhaled loudly when that was done with and the woman opened a book to check something in it. All of the kids knew she was studying a lot to know better about healing, though they didn’t suspect of her wish to become a physician just yet. “It is good to see your dedication to so many things, Manuela. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for watching over us, especially over Dorothea. She is the one who needs you the most.”

Those words were meant to be thankful and honest, yet the diva knew better than to not hear the distinct _“not me”_ at the end of that sentence. Closing the book that had been on her lap with a loud thud, she turned to Edelgard and gave her a sad look.

“Why do you think you don’t deserve this?” She partially regretted that question, thinking that it would be a tough one for an adult to answer, never mind a child. At the same time, she wanted to know, to understand all that the princess had kept away from her for too long. Especially when she realized how little she knew about the kid in front of her aside from the fact that she was one of the Imperial princesses.

“That was never said and I assure you, I am more than gratef-“

“No, I do know you are. You’ve made that clear time and time again, sweetie, and not only by bringing me breakfast in bed when we don’t have practice. But I – we – have been worried about you, that you might be suffering in silence.” Manuela winked at her, then took her wrist and placed index and middle finger over her pulse point.

The rhythm wasn’t erratic, but it was a slow one. Too slow for someone her age, even so. While it was probably another sign of her tiredness, the woman still took a mental note of that for future consideration.

“But the way you feel is just as important as eating and sleeping well in order for your body to function, you know?” Manuela went on, citing a book she had recently devoured on the impact of mood on everything from posture to immune response. Unfortunately, she had been unable to locate more tomes on that particular matter, as it had interested her greatly and made a lot of sense, but still. That didn’t mean she couldn’t use it in her own training. “So is there anything plaguing you, little princess?”

Edelgard squirmed under the woman’s gaze and touch, as Manuela turned to examine the girl’s torso. Her hands neither hurt nor caressed, which was good since the former would have her yelping in pain and the latter would lull her to sleep.

At first El thought about saying nothing or deflecting one more time, hoping the diva would stop prying and get the message that she wasn’t really in a talkative mood. Yet somehow she knew that wouldn’t be the case and there was a huge chance her doing that would only mean she wouldn’t see her bed any sooner.

That was why she glanced down onto the floor and did her best to find something, anything, that would be ok to share. There were so many distinct thoughts that had been tiring and keeping her awake, it was hard to choose a small, not harmful one.

“I am afraid for my family.” Edelgard uttered at last, the realization that she ended up choosing those words instead of something softer, like missing her family, made her eyes widen in shock before they stung with unshed tears.

She had tried her best to keep her feelings away from Dorothea, who had her own self-doubts and anxiety around performances to deal with, Manuela, who was a grownup and already more prone to stress, and Byleth, who needed some moments of peace after everything she had done and witnessed since their journey together had started. She knew it was impossible to actually fool the thief, but apparently it had been a tall order to avoid the people around her at all.

Perhaps she should have elaborated and told the woman the full story, all she had heard from Hubert and the few conclusions she was trying very hard not to draw when her mind went into overdrive. Perhaps she would have gotten more than empty words meant to comfort little kids who didn’t know any better, who thought that adults had all the answers and should be trusted no matter what.

If the last few months and weeks had taught her something, it was that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Grownups and people in general could hurt, could be violent and do things that ended up getting kids into trouble. That was the last thing she wanted to happen to her, to be taken into someone else’s drama or ideals for her. Hence she found it better to stay silent, to pretend the one thing that was hurting her the most was homesickness and not a heavy feeling of dread at Hubert’s report. At what it could entail and mean for her and her siblings.

Manuela did the best with the little information she had been given, caressing and soothing with affirmations. The examination was forgotten and abandoned once she saw how affected the girl was by doubts and uncertainties she, as a kid, had no right to even think about, much less attempt to solve.

Then, when the one response she got with that was just a headshake and the glitter of tears that pride and secrecy wouldn’t allow the princess to shed, the songstress pulled Edelgard into her lap and hugged her. Silence was more comforting than trying to talk, in a sense. Candlelight touched them in its ululating, whispering light, the warmth it gave off amplified by the niceness of the embrace.

A tender hand was kept on the child’s head and another on her side, fingers kneading the slightest to both calm and maybe lull her to sleep. The woman was relieved when she actually relaxed and soon enough was breathing evenly in a light slumber. Manuela grimaced throughout it all, doing her best to not give in to thoughts which spoke of how awful of a guardian she was since she hadn’t been able to say anything worthwhile to a distressed kid.

 _Nonsense_ , the songstress told herself as she cradled the princess even closer to her body and rose, deciding it would be kinder to carry her to bed than to make her walk all the way there after dozing off. _I can’t know what’s really bothering her unless she tells me. It’s not my fault I can’t read minds._

Even though that was indeed what logic whispered to her, it wasn’t at all what she was feeling deep inside. Manuela had no one but herself and a few close people she could call her friends to rely on. It had been like that as life went by, since her parents were no better when it came to supporting her true ambitions and people were faster to judge and desire her than to listen to what she had to say.

That was why it had become so easy for her to blame herself whenever things went wrong or she underperformed in a task. There was no one else there that could have aided her to begin with, hence it automatically became her own fault. Cerys had died due to her lack of experience with the healing arts and her lazy ways, since if she had studied just a bit more maybe the woman would have been saved in time. Maybe if she had taken the time to instruct both Byleth and Edelgard in singing, they wouldn’t have been stuck with stupid jobs and would have joined the choir at least.

Once her thoughts started it was hard to make them stop. Not even a small prayer to the Goddess would distract that part of her mind that was keen on letting her know how insufficient and inappropriate she was. It wasn’t lost on her that while she climbed the stairs as gingerly as she could with a kid on her arms, her mind was repeating the same things she had often heard from her parents when she was younger. They had always said they were doing it out of love, that their family would be lost and perish if she didn’t marry rich and help them.

Out of love or not, she knew better than anybody else the effects that had had on her as a whole, as the person that she was. Whenever someone at the Mittelfrank came to her with doubts and fears about their talent, performance or even their sense of self, she was the first to tell them it was ok to make mistakes and that they were all human to begin with. The same never applied to her, would never do since she had to do better, to become better, to be more than what everyone thought about her.

The need to prove herself blinded her to a degree that she never believed it when others praised her. She was well aware of her title in the Opera Company, on how everyone looked up to her, but at the same time it was as if that was someone else, as if there were another Manuela Casagranda they were talking about. So the fact she had also failed to offer support to this child, and probably had similar outcomes with the other two as well, felt like a testament to how awful she was.

Yes, it would be a long night, the woman thought as she silently opened the door to Byleth’s bedroom and deposited a sleeping Edelgard beside her slumbering friend, who stirred a bit and smiled before hugging the princess. She left before the thief could either open her eyes or ask any questions, turning away and deciding it was time she did something about how lacking she was.

And although the first idea had her drowning her sorrows in alcohol again, she knew better about how much that wouldn’t work and would result in nothing but a headache the following morning. That was why, instead of that, she used the rest of the night and went well into the morning curled up with medical books and notes on the matter of life and death.

It was always a shock to wake up due to a sneeze or a cough, no matter how many times that had happened recently. Edelgard was jolted awake nonetheless as her throat constricted in an uncomfortable way before she finally did cough, air escaping though her mouth before she could stop herself and cover it with a hand.

Which meant that, of course, the sound and motion alone were enough to wake up Byleth, who had been peacefully sleeping beside her until that point.

She sighed to herself as the thief did move and soon enough she felt the weight of a stare on her. A concerned, somewhat heavy gaze that didn’t completely belong to the carefree girl Edelgard had met months ago, in very unusual circumstances. She hated that, hated herself for causing so much turmoil to someone who had done nothing but keep her safe.

Making Byleth wake up and witness her litany of sneezes and coughs was too much, the princess thought, turning her body the opposite way from her companion and crossing her arms. Luckily Dorothea wasn’t with them in that night, or else she would have two girls to dodge instead of just a very attentive one. She thanked her lucky stars for that, before pretending she didn’t know Byleth was up and standing up in a motion that was a bit more languid and awkward than it should have been.

It was when her feet reached the cold floor that she became aware of how sore and small she felt, for some reason she didn’t really know. Her knees buckled and she almost had to hold the bed for support, but after a few seconds her legs obeyed her again and she was able to stand still.

Her mind was slow to process where she was and each shadow that she could see on the darkened room. What at first looked like a cat turned out to be a book that the older kid had tried to read, then discarded open, uncaring to close and put it away in a more decent place. The same could be said about some clothes thrown here and there, which Edelgard at first mistook for piles of leaves or undecipherable specters.

It was strange and intimidating to walk through all of that with feet that seemed to be made of lead – or was it that her legs were weakened? Even her head felt too heavy over her neck and she had some trouble keeping it raised, as if her muscles had completely given up at the mere thought of supporting her through all those motions. Her thoughts, as unclear, hazy and heavy as her body, were of no help at all either as they kept trying to understand what had happened prior to her waking up. Not that pondering over it helped, it only gave her something to focus so she would not despair during those initial minutes during which she felt it was better not to try moving.

In due time – time enough for Byleth to fall asleep again, she hoped – Edelgard was able to make it to the door and outside of the room that wasn’t her own. The empty hallway in front of her was alien in a sense, as she had expected it to be much larger and with many more doors to each side of it, the walls decorated with a mixture of paintings, plants and carved torches she had used to stare at for hours when she was younger, admiring the flames.

In that strange corridor, however, she did spot some light leaving the door to a room and had half a mind to go there and check what was going on, who was up and what they were doing. The buildup of pressure in her nostrils was enough to remind her she was running the risk of waking everyone up if she remained in that place, thus she did her best to rush inside her own quarters and had the door closed behind her before a sneeze did finally leave her body. It was followed by another, and another, then another, until she was shaking with them and doing her best to break her fall, ending in a sitting position on the cold, hard floor.

The girl covered her face with an arm and waited until that fit stopped, only for it to be followed by a coughing one. Realizing she was still too close to the corridor and in danger of alerting people to what was going on with her, she half dragged, half willed herself away from that place and into the center of the room. Sudden panic took over her, as although it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened in the last few days, she certainly couldn’t remember ever feeling that exhausted after climbing out of bed. Or run down, to say the least, her body trembling and sore, muscles too feeble to keep her up and about.

A part of her was afraid of that new development, for the fact that she would be discovered if it went on until the next day and she was unable to leave her mattress at a proper time. She couldn’t be like that, couldn’t both get them to be late or to worry more about her than they already were. No, she had to be stronger, to let that stupid idea that she was feeling weak just go back to where it had come from.

Frowning and angry at all that had been going on with her as of recent, Edelgard forced herself to get to her feet and fought against her body telling her to stop and lie down, against the coughing and wheezing breaths which left her throat. Her steps were a lot more careful, yet less uncertain or heavy, as she made her way to the table in the opposite side of the room and hauled herself into the chair. A second later her eyes were on the starry sky again and she found some comfort, some escape from all that was trying to encroach on her hazy mind, from the thoughts and the despair that had been taking her over little by little.

It would be a blessing for her when Hubert’s words stopped echoing in her brain, the implications of her siblings being sent away, plus her father and soon-to-be sister being kept at their rooms or under surveillance always chilling her to the bone. Sure, they were both kids and could be reading too much into the entire deal, but she had had more than enough politics classes to wonder at what her uncle wanted to do.

“It is… useless for me to keep thinking based on unfounded conjectures.” She mumbled, her voice raspy and not at all there. It was a shock to hear it like that, another thing she had to hope would get better once she fell asleep in her own bed and woke up the following day. At least the night outside was still very dark and silent, meaning that she probably had more than enough hours to rest and get that dealt with.

But first she had to stop those damned sneezes and everything else that came along with them.

It took a while for it to happen, for her body to stop acting up and for her mind to actually focus on the beautiful constellations and the full moon in front of her instead of anything else that, at the end of the day, maybe didn’t even deserve her attention to begin with. A bit calmer, she rose from the chair at once and marveled at how much easier it felt to walk already. There was some hope and a smile on her face when she eventually laid down and pulled blankets over herself, falling into another deep sleep practically the moment her eyes closed.

However, her mind had failed to notice how the door to her quarters had been ajar for the longest while, maybe for the moment she had walked away from it. How a certain pair of cornflower blue eyes had been watching her every moment and flinching in pain at every sign of discomfort the princess’s body manifested. Even more so when that small sentence was said with so much sadness that it made something inside Byleth’s chest tear itself apart.

Right then she had almost blown her cover and gone inside the quarters, then wrapped Edelgard in a hug and asked her what was happening. In the end she had decided to stay hidden and watch while thinking on what she should do next. And while she had yet to come to a solution when the princess finally found her way to bed and laid down, she was at least a bit calmer that nothing worse had happened.

Byleth sighed, waited a few minutes before creeping inside the room herself and pacing around, eyes completely focused on the slumbering girl. She knew climbing into bed wasn’t an answer, since El had more than likely fled from it because she wanted some peace and quiet. Telling Manuela, who was still awake and in her study room, sounded like a good idea at first, until she had a feeling the princess would be mad at her due to it and the last thing she wanted was to make her even more scared, angry or experience anything unpleasant.

The only thing that sounded feasible beside that was attempting to heal Edelgard herself, though white magic had never been Byleth’s forte. She had intently watched as the diva taught Dorothea the principles of it, sure enough, but it wasn’t as if she was the one getting coached or if she had even tried something like that before.

What was it that her father used to say when one of the Blade Breakers was a bit unsure about doing something they really wanted to, but were afraid of the results? Ah yes, _there is always a first time for everything and regret’ll get you nowhere._ She grimaced at the thought of her merry band of robbers, briefly wondering about how they were faring and where they could be raiding as of then as she approached the mattress and copied what she had been Dorothea do several times, placing open palms over the slumbering girl. The difficult part was what to do after, or at least she thought it would be tough before her mind turned to her wish to heal Edelgard, to make her feel better in some way.

She couldn’t help the gasp of surprise which left her lips the moment some blueish white energy left her palms and involved the princess, making both of them smile due to different reasons. It was visible how Edelgard relaxed and seemed a lot more at ease when magic engulfed her body and warmed her up in a comforting way. Byleth beamed widely at that sight; she couldn’t remember the last time the younger kid had been that relaxed.

It was tempting to stay there and keep doing that all night long if it were necessary, but soon enough the strain of giving away that much energy was noticed by the thief’s mind. Her eyelids became too heavy and her arms tired in a rate that had never happened before, surprising her in a sense. That was what made her stop, more to keep herself standing and able to go back to her room than anything else. She was panting while balling her hands into tiny fists in order to stop the flow of magic and allowing one second for her body to catch up on what was going on.

Even so, Byleth was pouting and incredibly sad when she made herself leave the room as well, but not before glancing back at her charge and whispering in a small, soft voice:

“Hope it works. Rest, El.”

Sunlight was making its way into Edelgard’s room when she woke up the next day. That was new, since the last few mornings had started with clouds that would dissipate only later on and chillier temperatures that took a while to rise. Her eyes shot open and a smile covered her eyes at the view of sunbeams coming through her window and spilling over the table itself. Somehow that simple view reminded her of those times when she and some sibling or another were having lessons with their tables close to the windows and something like that would happen.

It was nostalgic, yes, but also doubly hurtful since that was all it took for the princess to remember last night, her reminiscing and worries…

And of course, the way she had been physically feeling as well.

She jumped to a sitting position in bed when that particular theme came to mind and an icy tinge of anxiety coursed through her bloodstream. Yes, she had been too weak to even move yesterday and was scared about what would happen if it carried on to that morning too. Although she had the impression that something else had happened as well (something involving white lights and a soft voice), she was only dimly aware of that change and for a moment stood frozen in bed.

Sooner or later she would have to get out of there and see how she was faring, Edelgard realized as she heard the distinct sound of small steps outside of her room, probably Dorothea getting up and running a shower as she usually did before going to the Mittelfrank. And yes, she knew it would be better to get a feel of how her body was before either Byleth or Manuela came to check on her, but still. It was scary, she was scared. She didn’t want to admit to being unwell or having to ask for a day off. No one else was resting and surely they had been working at least five times harder than her during those last weeks or so.

After a long sigh that also marked the first time she had been able to take such a deep breath for a while, Edelgard shifted her body around and tentatively placed one foot on the ground. Nothing, no pain during the motion or afterwards either. Then down came the other and a few seconds later she was standing up as if last night had been nothing but a dream – or a nightmare, more likely.

Indeed, she was questioning herself about the fact that she had probably imagined the entire thing – or dreamed it, maybe after Manuela took her to bed? – while opening the door and almost colliding with a yawning Byleth.

“Apologies, I was not looking. Good morning, By, how are you faring?” Edelgard inquired, eyeing the girl in a suspicious way.

Everybody in the house knew that the thief was prone to staying up until late at night and using that time to prank Manuela in some form. Even so, when morning came she would always be well-rested and ready for another day at the Opera Company and its demands, no matter how many hours of sleep she had gotten. Thus, the princess was shocked as she saw dark bags under her eyes, a certain paleness to her face that had never been there before and the fact that she was yawning.

That wasn’t like Byleth at all. Rather, that was a lot like how she herself had felt, and probably looked, the day before.

“Fine and you? Still tired?” The older kid said, turning around to go downstairs, feet shuffling with each movement. What was going on with her?

“I do not believe you. Have you slept at all?” El accused, falling into step beside her and taking her hand to offer both support and comfort.

“Yep. Slept the whole night, nothing to report.” She retorted, eyes fixed on the steps in front of them and not on the girl by her side. Even if a part of her mind was relieved to see Edelgard in better health than how she had been before, it was hard to think and feel accomplished at her achievement through the haze that had installed in her brain.

It had been foolish of her to attempt healing magic without proper training, even if doing so actually had helped her little charge in some way. The issue being the toll it had taken on Byleth, who felt as if she hadn’t been able to sleep at all for the last four days. This wasn’t something she had seen on either Manuela or Dorothea, so there was a chance she had done something wrong the night before.

She could only hope that didn’t mean Edelgard would be affected by her inexperience, too. A look to the side confirmed that the princess looked relieved and in high spirits, as if the last few days of her being completely tired had been imagined or were completely behind her, too. Byleth was happy for that and for her assistance as they went into the kitchen and got some food, the way they usually did when Manuela was sleeping in and Dorothea had her own things to do up in the bathroom. It was nice to see her so lively moving around and getting things done instead of lying limp against the wall or sitting on a chair with a slumped posture that didn’t befit her status.

The older thief’s thoughts were echoed by the two singers once they descended the stairs and met with them. Dorothea was more than happy to see Edie looking and acting better, smiling more and even dancing and jumping around. Manuela, while joining in at the hums of approval at first, was keen to notice how downcast Byleth was and glance at her in a suspicious way. As if she knew that something had happened a few hours ago, something that maybe hadn’t been done the right way.

No word of advice or chastisement came as they finished that light meal and made their way to the Mittelfrank, being occasionally saluted by nobles who had risen early and were more than likely strolling around with their families. Eating had helped Byleth feel better, more centered and focused in a way. The haze slowly dissipated when they walked too, so by the time they reached the building she was feeling a lot better, less sleepy and able to follow conversations and the pacing of the world around them.

That went on as the day progressed, as if in each passing second her body reclaimed energy it had given away earlier. She was alert enough to go through drills with Edelgard and Manuela, who were glad to see her disposition returning and enjoyed a very nice training session with their respective weapons. The same happened the moment Byleth and Edelgard went to attend on the singers and actors, though by then they were separated and the thief wasn’t able to see much of Edelgard. The initial weariness that had surrounded the three of them since finding a sleepy, grumpy princess in their dressing room was completely gone by the time performers were given a break since it had been a good rehearsal.

Byleth, who had been assisting an actress with her intricate dress, was more than happy to look for her friends and maybe suggest they go into the city for a nice meal, or a good dessert to make that day even happier, a special one for no reason at all. Thus she left the common changing room with a zip in her step and a smile on her face and started searching for the others, wondering where they could be and, more importantly, where the princess was.

Her steps were soundless on the narrow hallway, as they usually were no matter how fast or slow she was moving, yet her mind was loud enough to compensate for that lack of noise. Her thoughts were spiraling for some reason, one she couldn’t entirely understand, even more so when something unfamiliar and distinct lodged itself into her heart. The feeling wasn’t one she could name, but seemed to be like an intuition of sorts, something that made the hair behind her neck stand due to tension.

Was it the same anticipation or anxiety that Dorothea had told her she experienced each and every time before she stepped on the stage? Byleth didn’t think so, but couldn’t tell in any case. All she knew was that something was wrong, out of place, though she had no idea what it was to begin with.

She was almost blinded by the strong stage lights the moment she left the hallway and saw actors, musicians and performers alike chatting idly by the scenario, still in their clothes. Further from where she was, the orchestra was trying to help their new pianist, who had been doing extra hours every day in order to catch up with the rest of his mates (since he was neither that bad nor that good, but had been the only one to stand out and look promising in the auditions that had been done before the show began). Manuela and Dorothea were center stage, laughing and trying some variations to their duet with goofy expressions and exaggerated movements, their fellow singers either ogling them in envy or chuckling due to that foolishness.

As Byleth meandered through little clusters of people who were either talking or going through their parts at random, she briefly wondered if Manuela knew how there were others in the company who would love nothing more than to see her demise. She was pretty sure the diva was a lot wiser than to think they were nothing but a big, goofy family that always supported and cheered for one another, but even so. Making a mental note to discuss it with either or both of the songstresses, she jumped down from the stage and went on with a frown, her chest clenching the slightest when she realized Edelgard was nowhere to be found.

The thought about asking either Manuela or Stephen was quieted when she glanced up at them one more time and realized how entranced in their own activities they were. It was unlikely they had seen the little princess, as they had failed to spot her pacing through the setting to begin with. Moreover, those were grownups she was talking about, prone to skipping important details and be more preoccupied with their things all the time, even more so then since they had been going through individual performances and corrections that morning.

Shaking her head, Byleth went on to the Entrance Hall, trying her best to keep her mind from overthinking things. No, there was no reason for her to worry, was there? El was sometimes sent to gather stuff in the market or new fabric for repairing costumes (a job she had kept doing, as her skill with a needle improved greatly even if Taylor had been the first to say otherwise). There were a thousand little places she could be at and thousand little reasons to justify her absence.

However, it was hard to keep those things in mind when something ominous was clinging to her as if for dear life. The feeling made her steps go faster as she traversed the hallway to the smaller theater, the only spot left in the Mittelfrank for the princess to be at. She wanted to call her name, but at the same time had a feeling it wouldn’t be necessary – also, it wouldn’t do if she ended up calling attention to herself or to the other girl, either. She knew Eldegard wouldn’t like it if she did so.

Mentally using her nickname had a soothing effect that lasted for a few seconds, enough so Byleth could ground herself in reality again and open the door to the extra stage. She looked around, her eyes more frantic than before, when there had been more possibilities for the princess to be at.

At first there was nothing, since the place was gloomy due to no one being there at that hour. She opened her palm and called for a fire ball, as her thoughts still raced, still tried to beat her sight. At first she was able to make out shadows, then objects and finally the entire setting by itself, her eyes completely adjusted to that lack of luminosity.

The stage was empty, as expected, but maybe if she had started her search in that part of the Opera House she would have missed Edelgard altogether, as her small body laid on comfortable chairs located at the second row.

Her face was paler than the moon itself, lips the same ominous color, her closed eyelids twitched, restless. Her hands, which for a second stayed crossed over her torso, soon slipped to the sides and over the chair itself. Her expression, at first contorted in pain or discomfort, relaxed but didn’t completely lose the tinge of something, the same something that had been clawing and tugging at Byleth for the longest time.

As the thief approached her charge and started calling her name, she found out the feeling was called fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! How have you been? So the title of this chapter is a warning for reals XD things are about to change and we *miiiight* be nearing the end of an arc too. 
> 
> Byleth trying on some faith magic on her own though, the kid did her best (also, I love how that's in-game Byleth's talent, even tho she's the Ashen Demon and all about that fighting hehe)
> 
> Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this :3 Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your week!


	17. Turmoil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard falls sick and Byleth, who doesn't know exactly what to do, seeks help from the grownups at the Mittelfrank.  
> However, she regrets that decision as soon as the healers and Manuela come to an ominous conclusion. One that could really harm the princess in some way.

The day had started a lot better than the last few ones for Edelgard, for a reason she couldn’t really name. Sure, she had felt something different happening during the night, some blue lights surrounding her and the likes, but that had been a dream and nothing more, right? It couldn’t be an explanation as to why her body didn’t feel any tinge of tiredness or sluggishness at all.

She had been incredibly elated and relieved due to that, due to no longer having to drag herself everywhere and fight against thoughts of lying down and resting even if it were only for five minutes. Or the guilty feeling which would nag at her whenever she did find some time to sit down, only to see everyone else being active while she was just lazing around.

No, she had thought for some weeks whenever that happened, she would not be a burden, or one of the stupid, good-for-nothing people that they had watched do idle around and laugh at those who worked themselves to death. She was a princess and should always lead by example, even though her status as one had remained unknown for the entire time they were at the Mittelfrank. And also well, she would never get to rule anything other than one of her father’s estates, if much. Leading the Empire was never something she had been prepared for, nor one of the responsibilities in her near future.

Truth be told, she had been more than ok with that. Marina was a kind-hearted person who knew when to steel her words and demeanor, or when to soften them as well. She was smart and goal-oriented, already expressing some wishes for where she wanted to lead the Empire and having Ionius help her better define those goals, putting them into practice. Most of these revolved in removing what she used to call “the idle nobility, those who abuse power while seeking more power for themselves, yet never put it to use for the communal good.”

So it was only fitting for Edelgard to heed these words, which had often been uttered in family meals and discussed with the other older siblings, and not be a sloth noble herself. That did mean pushing against her limits and always doing her best, as she had been told to time and time again back in the Palace and still upheld those values as guides for her life as a whole. It was what had made her improve considerably at the axe in what Byleth had called “such a short while”, or why the performers in general complimented her sewing skills and general assistance to them even in small tasks.

There was no such a thing as a small task in the princess’s book though, or an excuse for her to not be trying her best no matter what. Which was a lot easier said than done when one wasn’t in good spirits or health. She sincerely hoped that in her case it was the former rather than the latter; although she hadn’t been too prone to get sick in her earlier years, it didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of how useless she would become if it was the case.

And the last thing she wanted, or thought that she deserved in that situation, was to have to remain in bed for days on end while the others worked and were productive. It was bad enough that all her studying and learning had been for nothing, that her tutors hadn’t really taught her about the real world and what to expect of it the moment she and her siblings were out of the glittery, protective walls of the Enbarr palace. Had all those classes being for naught after all? It wasn’t the first time she had asked that after leaving, what with Byleth and Dorothea showing her bits and pieces of the world that she had never imagined or thought about before.

The point was, she wanted to be useful. The wish was so strong, her body aching and complaining about all the time she had been spending on her feet running errands for performers was seen as nothing more than a nuisance. She couldn’t remember exactly when those symptoms had started; the fact that the Mittelfrank had become even more a buzz of activity as the premiere drew nearer could justify for some of her fatigue. Or should she see it as a sign as well?

In any case, it had been at least a few weeks since she had started falling asleep a lot earlier than everyone else, sometimes skipping dinner as she was more tired than hungry – then not hungry at all, once her appetite was gone and her mind was busier informing her that everything hurt and she should lie down.

Then there had been the coughs, which made her leave the bed she was sharing with Byleth, Dorothea or both, and go to an empty room in order to not disturb them. Little did she know that they had not only heard those, but went on watching over her in small ways, the older thief creeping around the room and keeping the door ajar so they could peek in every once in a while, discussing in hushed tones if they should intervene. Only to leave her alone since the coughs and sneezes took a short while to subside and she would often lie down and go to sleep right away.

Not too long after came the nights (and sometimes days) in which she shivered so much it was impossible for her to get any rest at all. Those had indeed been the worst, as it was one thing to wake up for a few minutes due to her symptoms, then another altogether to not be able to slumber since she was too cold. There was no reason for such a thing, either, as the weather wasn’t that chilly and in any case they had good blankets all around. Manuela had provided them with enough woolen ones to keep them warm from the worst of winter, even if they were still in fall.

Of course Edelgard knew well enough what was happening and the fact that she was getting sick – or was sick already, most likely. But Manuela had recently run an overall exam on her and found nothing within fault. Nor had the princess been totally unable to help around and do her tasks, as mostly she started her days better and only recently had started feeling bad since mornings.

So she had pushed and pushed, wishing that something would happen for it to go away. That her body would fight the bug, the infection or whatever it was that had been causing such symptoms so she could be able to feel better again, to run faster between errands and to not nod off while doing her needlework, when she sat down to tend to torn costumes and other clothes.

That day she had thought such a wish was granted. That she had healed herself after all that time and nothing bad would happen. The jolt of energy had been a contrast to how awful she had been for the last few days and she couldn’t help but beam, run and jump around while trying her best to be active and good. First to Byleth, who hadn’t been looking so well in the morning and seemed to be downcast, shuffling her feet and closing her eyes while walking around the house, then at the streets themselves. Edelgard had offered physical support and was appalled when the older girl both accepted and seemed to need it more than anything else in order to simply stay up and walk.

Sure, so it hadn’t lasted for too long and somewhere between morning and early afternoon Byleth had been back to her old, attentive and energetic self, but still. It had worried El to no end that the older girl had looked that bad, too.

The problem, and at first Edelgard didn’t really notice it, was that she herself was apparently going in the opposite direction as time passed and the day went on. At first it had started as a dull headache in the back of her skull that had made her stop at times to massage it and try willing the pain away. Then her arms had failed when she was holding a makeup kit to a performer who was trying something new before their show that night, on their private dressing room. She had apologized for as many times as she could, even though they were quick to reassure her nothing was wrong and ask if she was feeling ok since she was getting a little pale.

That made alarm bells sound in the back of her mind, but she simply assuaged them, saying she was fine and picked up the broken pieces of the kit, before settling those on the table and excusing herself. The last thing she wanted was to do something like that again and her arms weren’t feeling the most stable ever, so to speak.

Unless one counted her legs, which she realized were trembling the moment she stepped away from the dressing room and went towards the hallway and the stage, where they were just finishing a practice run of the performance. Stephen would soon call each artist to the audience and tell them something or another in private, giving some hints on what they could do to make their parts better, or a technique they should revise with some of the older, more experienced members of the Opera House. He was very discreet about corrections, something that had awed Edelgard the first time she saw it given how her tutors had been keen on calling their mistakes in front of other siblings – and in a rather loud voice, too.

As if they couldn’t afford to ever be wrong at all, a sentiment that perhaps she still carried to that day.

Her mind flared up in fear when she felt herself suddenly becoming weaker and weaker, as if the well of energy that had coursed through her body earlier on was now faltering and had completely ebbed away in a matter of hours. It made her wonder about what was happening and what had given her so much strength before, but was now letting her body return to the aggravating state it had been in for the last few weeks.

And what was worse, if her legs were to fail her then, she would end up falling in front of everyone else, right over the stage and before she could even hide and lie down for a few.

Thus she locked her knees and willed herself forward, although she was swaying and feeling fatigued, forward until she gingerly climbed down the stairs that led to the audience, then up the ones that got her closer to the theater door. Those had been the worst, as climbing required her to trust her lower limbs more than she was willing to do at that time, and she ended up leaning against the wall and letting it take most of her weight instead.

Even more so when small black dots started swirling around her vision and she became languid, so, so tired that even the thought of taking another step was too much. For a second Edelgard forgot why she was fighting, why she was moving or trying to hide what she had been experiencing. One look down at the stage, once she reached the main door and pushed it open with what little strength she still had, and the sight of a smiling Dorothea clinging to Manuela, dancing around a bit and humming to herself as the diva talked to another performer, was enough to supply her with an answer.

She couldn’t be idle. She couldn’t be the only one of the kids who did nothing but take comfort in their current situation and the hospitality that Manuela had offered them. She couldn’t be the reason that Dorothea was sent away from the house they were now living in, just because she had failed to deliver some money and help with things in general. It was bad enough that her abilities weren’t needed in the Opera House, that in the end Stephen could do well with just Byleth and send her home without a second thought.

So she couldn’t give him a reason to do so, could she?

That jolt of adrenaline, laced with fear of a future where she was rejected and turned into a burden to her friends – more than she had already been to the thief, who had had to protect her alone – fueled her next movements, so that she was indeed able to step outside of the amphitheater, then through the empty, polished Entrance Hall that reflected her ghastly pale face back at her, and to the side stage, the one where she, Byleth and the two singers had practiced their own things earlier in the morning.

Why was it that she had been well back then, brandishing her axe with so much energy that even Byleth was put to shame due to it? Or why had it been gone in so little time, as if it hadn’t been there to begin with? She didn’t know and couldn’t say, her palms reaching for the velvet seats closest to the entrance as soon as she had gone inside the place.

It was gloomy, since it had no windows for sunlight to come in and the candles and torches around the walls were off. Perhaps that lack of fire or light itself also contributed to the chill that ran down her spine at that, or maybe it was just her fever returning, seeking revenge for the small time it had been kept away from her due to whatever that had meddled with her body before.

For surely something external had helped, then went away a few minutes ago. There was no other explanation, was it? Yes, she did tend to feel better in the morning and then worse later on, but nothing like that, not so abrupt or sudden either. That was new, in a terrifying way, so much so that panic clenched at her chest and made her gasp for air. Her muscles strained while the princess descended the stairs, her heart beating in triple speed to accompany her fluttering, shallow breathing.

Edelgard yelped in a raucous voice the moment she almost tripped on the carpeted floor, her hands floundering over the nearest seat and luckily finding purchase, then allowing her to stay on her feet even if she felt so tired, the one thing she wanted to do was actually lie down and silence her mind. To quiet down thoughts which had kept her going for too long without proper help, a mistake that she shouldn’t have done after all that had happened to Cerys.

The name echoed inside her brain as she steadied herself, then climbed down the stairs slowly, giving her feet ample time to secure themselves on the slippery floor (though she knew her own weakness was at fault and not the ground itself). She was almost descending it completely sideways, using both hands to grab plushy chairs as if she were holding on for dear life, her knuckles white against the gloominess due to how strongly and shakily she was doing so. Cerys had succumbed to something similar to what she was experiencing, hadn’t she? Some respiratory issues and fever, or at least that was what they had seen while caring for the woman.

And yes, she had been harmed before – and later on Manuela had explained that the biggest thing to blame on her entire condition had been the wound in itself and how badly it healed, leading to a generalized infection until her body just stopped working. Edelgard breathed easier when she recalled those facts and assured herself it wasn’t the same thing. She had no unhealed gash, nor was she living at the streets anymore and having close to nothing to eat.

So why was it that she felt so bad? Moving was hard, breathing was tougher still and the mere thought of being on her feet was becoming excruciating. Unable to go on until she could reach the end of the stairs and lie against the stage, as she had planned on doing, the princess stopped at the second row of chairs and at first sighed once her back hit the plushy, comfortable seat.

It was good to feel that support, even though her thoughts were still scattered and unrooted, questioning and panicky. A lot like her breath, which kept a fast rhythm even when she was no longer standing and instead, completely relaxed against the chair. She trembled more then, teeth chattering, eyes closed against the wave of fatigue that took her over right then and there.

When was the last time she had been so sick? Or so indisposed to begin with? She couldn’t remember and would never wish those sensations on her worst enemy. Allowing herself to lie down instead of sitting, she wondered if someone would ever notice her absence, given how afar and unhelpful she had been for the last few weeks, without a reason for her reduced productivity. Maybe they wouldn’t and she would get a decent amount of sleep, enough so she would be able to drag herself back to Manuela’s house and start thinking about an apology.

For a moment she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, at the arched dome that was smaller than that of the amphitheater but still impressive in her eyes. Sure, it was painted white to not distract people from the show itself, but nevertheless it reminded her of other ceilings like that. Ones that were made in crimson, gold and black, the colors of her family shield, of the Empire that she belonged to. The House she had left, the family that might as well have forgotten her, or perhaps though her dead after so long and no guard coming to even look for her.

Had it not been for Hubert’s reports and all the hardship she knew the Imperial family was going through, she would have more than likely believed it to be the truth. That she was no longer wanted in her own house after all that time. And although she knew better, there was a side of her that claimed just that. A weakened side of her that, at the same time, wanted someone to say that everything was going to be ok, that they would be fine and no harm would ever come to her, to the Hresvelgs and to the people she loved.

It was too tough to be away from everyone and only receive bad news such as the ones her vassal had brought. It was torturous to think about the implications of her siblings being sent away, her father secluded in his own office and almost placed under strict surveillance in his house. It was mentally and physically exhausting to know all this, but to not know what to do. To be just a kid and not strong, wise or powerful enough to retaliate and rescue those who perhaps needed her help.

Would things have been different if she had complied with her uncle and been sent to Faerghus? Or would she be just another member of the Imperial family that had been isolated from the others, and in a sense just as miserable (or worse) alone in that distant land in the Kingdom than she happened to be right then, still in Enbarr and surrounded by peers who had helped her in so many ways? What were her siblings thinking and doing, if anything at all?

Uncertainty gnawed at her, worrying her mind in a worse way than it had done for months. It was as if her weakened body had opened up a door to all the issues and thoughts she had tried so hard to hide, brush under a rug or distract herself from. They came at full force in that moment, when she was too feeble to fight back and overpower them one more time, postponing the moment when she would give up and let herself cry or yell at them – and at what she was feeling, as well.

Edelgard closed her eyes again, a sole tear escaping them at the muddled thoughts of what was happening at the palace, with her and with the ones around her, or what would happen and was outside of her control. It didn’t take long for her to go under, but only after she heard the main door opening and quiet feet sliding inside.

Byleth ran down the stairs the moment she realized who was there and had a good idea of what had happened; part of her mind even suspected why she herself had been feeling so tired earlier on. That same part blamed her entirely for that occurrence, for the spell to only temporarily work and give energy to Edelgard instead of actually healing her.

She shook her head at those thoughts once she reached the place where her charge was lying down, breathing fast and shivering, her face so pale it was almost glistening in the darkness. At first she tried calling the little girl while gently shaking her arm, but no response came at all. No matter how long she repeated that, it was as if nothing could reach the princess, as if she had gotten to her limits and wouldn’t be awakened.

The older thief felt her stomach lurch at that sight before she gingerly placed her arms around the girl’s shoulders and knees, bending her own in order to better be able to lift her. It was easy to do so and then shift her around a bit so she would fit better against Byleth’s body, though somehow Edelgard snuggled closer the moment she realized how warm the other kid was.

Moving around and tentatively taking bigger steps to cover the distance faster was the easy thing to do. Byleth’s body worked on autopilot, seeking movement to alleviate the tension riding in her chest, clouding her mind the way Dorothea’s probably did seconds before and during a play. The moment her feet were hitting the steps all the way up to the smaller theater’s entrance, she seemed to find some clarity and the ability to think, not only act.

Making a decision, however, was where the problem was, what the hard part was. She wanted to solve this on her own, to take full responsibility for what had happened and not have to rely on anyone else to make her charge feel better. El was hers to protect for a reason and she would make for a lacking bodyguard if she failed to do something as small as that. The problem was that she had already tried calling her and in all honesty, wouldn’t it be worse if her attempt at healing failed again? The last thing she wanted was for that particular situation to repeat itself anytime soon.

Which meant there was actually no decision at all to the entire matter, was there? Her eyes glazed over when she looked down at Edelgard, at how distressed she seemed to be even there, with someone holding her up.

“Sorry.” Byleth whispered, tasting something sharp and otherworldly bitter at the back of her throat the second she said that and started walking again through the empty Entrance Hall, her steps echoing with an edge of defeat that hadn’t been there when she was still searching for her companion, still unsure of what was going on.

Nevertheless, she pressed on. Maybe Eldegard wouldn’t like her for a while because of it. Hell, maybe she wouldn’t even be allowed to call her Eldegard, or El after that, but as long as she was safe and healthy that would be fine. One day she would forgive Byleth, she wasn’t petty like other nobles. She was, she was… she was amazing and needed to live.

It wasn’t as hard as the older thief thought it would be to actually push the door to the amphitheater and go inside, then be engulfed by sounds of loud conversations and laughter, all jarring with the fact she had a swooned princess on her arms. Something powerful rose through her chest at that, at all the demonstrations of joy and merriment that were completely at odds with the dread that was hanging around her and her charge. Even more so when nobody seemed to notice her, so entranced they were in their little performances, feedback sessions with Stephen and just fooling around after what had been deemed a successful practice run.

So much happening, yet nothing was important to her. Nothing at all was more important to her than the girl in her arms. Thus she made her way through the cacophony, through the myriad feelings which were threatening to take her over and she couldn’t even name. Each step was a statement of her wish to help, of her determination to see that to an end, no matter what would dare trying to stop her. Of her care for the princess she had spent so much time with and wished to spend much more in the future.

When Byleth reached the little steps that led from the audience to the stage, she was no longer dazed and uprooted, but focused and well-aware of the fact that those grownups had still to notice her. That was for the best, after all the last thing she wanted was to cause a scene even though it was more than likely that one would happen at some point. She kept her steps silent, albeit it would be impossible to hear a cough or a sneeze due to all the noise going around, then made her way through the back of the stage, close to the scenario, to where Manuela was still making fun of some parts of the play with two fellow actress. Dorothea, though, was nowhere to be seen and the older kid presumed she was probably at the dressing room, getting something to eat or doing some reading.

“Manuela?” Byleth said the as she got closer to the three, who were bathed under lights which were being tested for a scene and shone in tones of crimson and black. Her voice was swallowed by everything else going around and for a second the thief was reminded of all those nights with the Blade Breakers, with them sitting around a campfire completely drunk and being noisy like that.

Well, lesson learned. Adults didn’t always need alcohol to be loud like that. She sighed, then got as much air as she could and yelled, realizing later she had just employed one of the many techniques the songstress had been teaching Dorothea all this time.

“Manuela!!” Her voice wasn’t much louder, but at least it was just enough for the diva to look down with a small smile. One that turned into a shocked expression as soon as she realized that Byleth was actually carrying Edelgard.

And Edelgard looked as if she was really, really ill.

“What happened?” The woman asked straight away, excusing herself from the other two (who also glanced worriedly at the little kid) and pulling Byleth to a spot behind the red, heavy curtains.

“Think she fainted, she wasn’t feeling well.” The older kid began, unsure of what more to say until she remembered a small detail. “Tried waking her up but no good.”

Manuela said nothing but nodded and placed a hand on the thief’s shoulder before taking her backstage. That was the only time when a few heads turned to stare and the conversation was slightly lulled, ebbing into whispers that were still loud, but a lot softer than the noise from before, waves creeping up the sand after losing the violence with which they had crashed. They faded to the background, to an unwanted territory in Byleth’s mind as the two walked through the hallways that had become so familiar to her in those last few weeks, though now they seemed alien with the extra weight in her arms and chest.

She wasn’t expecting the grownup to stop at the common dressing room and call for two performers in there, nor for those people to jump to their feet and follow her less than a second after they had been told what was going on. They swiftly made their way to the dressing rooms and one of the actors pulled theirs open, as Manuela had said something or another about not alerting Dorothea unnecessarily.

But then, it wasn’t as if Byleth’s mind was completely rooted in the world around her anymore, to the point that she grunted and protested the moment she felt hands trying to take Edelgard away from her.

“Byleth, honey, we have to take a look at her.” Manuela said, finger curled around the princess’s shoulders, a thin, condescending smile on her face. The girl didn’t know if she loathed it more than the tone she had used to say that.

“No.” The answer was clear, final, didn’t allow for anything else to be questioned. Edelgard was hers to protect and that was it. She would be fine if only Manuela was there, but she didn’t like the peeved looks on the other two performers’ faces. What business did they have with it?

As if reading her mind, the woman’s demeanor softened even more instead of chastising her for being difficult, though there was indeed a bit of irritation behind her brown eyes.

“They’re healers, dear, and they’re very experienced. The Mittelfrank has a policy about keeping physicians on board just in case and this time, they also happened to be amazing actors.” She justified, taking the hand away from Edelgard and petting her hair instead. She never thought there would be a day she would have to soothe Byleth of all of them, but it did make sense that the one time it did happen, that was related to the princess. “You can trust them, I know I do.”

The _more than I trust my own self with the matter_ was implied and for this time around, Manuela was grateful Byleth didn’t pick up on it. Although there was still a frown on the kid’s face, she slowly relaxed her stance and eventually allowed the woman to grab Edelgard from her.

“Goddess, she looks too pale.” The male healer uttered, a blond with piercing blue eyes that had his face screwed up in thought while the diva placed the smaller girl on the couch located at the back of the dressing room. Edelgard made a sound of protest once put there, trembling even more due to the lack of warmth since no one else was holding her anymore.

“Have you noted any changes on her before or is this the first time?” The woman asked, tying her jet black hair in a ponytail before approaching the patient and silently beckoning with her head, so Byleth and Manuela would do the same.

“She hasn’t been very much like herself these last few days.” The songstress admitted, a bit too sheepish. The fact that Byleth was listless, looking at Edelgard with thoughtful eyes, just made her feel worse about the entire deal. She should have tried harder to heal her, to do a better examination to begin with. “Napping a lot more often, being a picky eater when she wasn’t one before, you name it. But then this morning she was fine and –“

“I tried healing her last night.”

Byleth’s words made them turn to glance at her with taken aback expressions. Not because kids shouldn’t be trying the Healing Arts (most students started as young as six, in all honesty), but since her voice carried a lot more sadness than they could have imagined coming from a girl that was often seen as stoic.

The man crouched in order to stay on the thief’s eye level, his expression a lot more open and interested than before. “And how did it go?”

“Bad. I was tired later but got better. She was ok, then this.” The girl motioned to her charge with an abrupt wrist motion, then stepped closer and took Edelgard’s hand in her own. “I did wrong.”

“You did, but it was very good for your first time.” The woman said in a soothing way, understanding a bit more what had occurred. “In the end you just transferred energy to her instead of healing, but energy does have a way of returning to its source after a while.”

She needed no more explanation than that, her face becoming downcast and eyes hooding over as she pouted. Although that expression usually came up when she had been denied something minor or disagreed with, this time it was just a mere reflex of too many emotions that she was pretty sure she had never felt before, most of which she couldn’t even name.

“So I did nothing.” She concluded in a heavier tone that made the grownups regard her with sadness. Even more so when she looked away from them, from Edelgard too, and almost dropped the small hand in hers. As if that contact alone wasn’t good, wouldn’t be good since she had failed once.

A feeling that Manuela could understand, for something similar was uncoiling in her heart at the sight of how weak the princess was – and the knowledge that it had gotten to such a point under her surveillance, too. She was supposed to care for her, for all of them. She was supposed to ward off disease and threats to life; that was why she was spending all those nights studying the Arts, wasn’t it?

How ironic was it that once again she had not seen what was under her very eyes?

Yet that moment wasn’t about her, nor should it be. There was a time and a place for everything and right then she had two kids to take care of – and another that, she hoped, wouldn’t get to see a sign of how flawed she was so soon. She needed to be a role model for the good, not for how bad adults could be.

“You did more than enough, little one.” Manuela cooed, standing beside Byleth and bending her back so they could look at each other’s eyes. That didn’t mean the thief glanced up from the floor, but at least it drew her attention. “You had no idea about what to do and- why didn’t you call me?”

“She doesn’t wanna cause trouble.” The thief replied, though that was half the truth of it anyways. She did finally look up, but only to watch as the two healers approached the princess, her princess, and started examining her. “You do too much already.”

“Nonsense and that’s not the entirety of it, is it?” The diva said, suspicious. The answer to her question was clear in how tense Byleth was during that thing, how her hands balled into fists and she had to keep herself from pushing the grownups away. She should have known better than to think those kids would change their opinion of adults so fast, just because some of them had been nice to them. “Honey, I know you’ve seen more than your fair share of –“

“Don’t hurt her!”

Byleth was gone from her side as soon as she saw the man squeeze Edelgard’s torso and how El first frowned, then gasped as if she were in pain. Before Manuela could stop her, the thief tackled him, sending him sprawling with a surprised yelp, and elbowed the woman away from the couch too.

“We’re not hurting her, promise.” The female healer said, a hand on her upper leg since that blow had been a tad too strong to her liking. She eyed her companion with a small smirk before turning to the Byleth, who was massaging the place where the man had touched her charge. “It’s just an old examination thing.”

No matter how patient she was with kids – and she had grown up being the oldest of three siblings, that didn’t mean she could go on like that. Not when it seemed like enough time had been wasted already and, if her thoughts were correct, that untreated flu had gone on for a tad too long. At first she thought about addressing Byleth and asking her to step aside, but at the end she turned to Manuela and said:

“Listen, I think it’s better if she isn’t here. Not only for the other kid but for herself too. We might need to draw some blood to lower the fever and that’s not something I’d let a child watch.”

“Agreed, I’ll deal with this.” The songstress replied, though her mind echoed with a _s I should have before, had I not been that distracted by other things._ “But please, if you can avoid that, there are some spells and procedures that have been proven as more useful –“

“Manuela, with all due respect, we know what we’re doing. Maybe it’s best if the two of you step out, go take a walk and eat something. Go clear your head.” The man grunted, not completely happy with the fact he had been bested by a kid.

“It’s tough to see a sick child like that, we understand.” The woman added, shot the other healer a pointed, displeased look. Being rude like that wouldn’t get them anywhere. “So please, trust us and don’t blame yourself for this either. Oh, I know that look and that you do that more often than you should.” She added once Manuela made an appalled face at her. “Some kids are really good at keeping those things quiet. Now go, we’ll help her, ok?”

There was nothing else to be done than grab Byleth’s hand and pull her away, even though she protested all the time and almost overpowered Manuela due to sheer strength. Yet the songstress held on, at that time feeling more like a defeated, useless human being than the diva of the Mittelfrank, the one people praised to high heavens due to her talent and looks.

They went outside the dressing room and waited, too concerned to go anywhere else. Even if the company didn’t know about Edelgard’s status, it was never prudent to leave a young kid like her unattended, on the hands of people she hadn’t interacted a lot with. It took a while for Byleth to comply, but at least she had struggled – and more than once managed to almost make Manuela fall – in complete silence.

Eventually she did stop trying to break free from that grasp and bolt into the room again, then showed the woman a trick to open doors without being noticed. They did so, cracking it just a sliver, and were then able to peek and listen to what was going on.

“She is awake, yes?” The man asked; once Byleth finally asked for their names she found out he was called Ariel and her, Cassandra.

“I believe so. Just a bit too weak to actually respond to us. Her heart is so slow, though, maybe she did return from the fainting spell and fell asleep right after.” She answered, placing both hands on Edelgard’s neck and feeling around. “There’s a lump here, a big one at that, so at least her body’s fighting back whatever that is.”

“Yeah but even so. She’s too pale and breathing too fast.” Ariel countered, not entirely convinced they had a mere fever to cool down. “And I don’t know if you’ve tried listening to her chest, but there’s a sound there when she exhales.”

“That wouldn’t be bad, to be frank. Means her lungs could be clear.” Cassandra retorted, wanting to believe in the best possible outcome. “Honestly, kids get sick all the time. It’s how they get stronger and we shouldn’t make a fuss out of something that small.”

His snort of disagreement was the only thing they heard for a while, since the two healers went through the rest of their examination in silence, prodding, touching and sometimes applying the slightest bit of magic to see what sort of response they would get from Edelgard. There were some and Byleth would almost run inside when El protested as if in pain, but Manuela was quick to reassure her that this was good, that it meant her body was functioning just fine in regards to sensitivity too.

The woman had to keep herself from watching too much and losing track of time – or just letting the thief escape from her grasp due to the fact that she was distracted. Since her studies had been purely theoretical by far and at the most she would grab one or two harmed animals from the streets for her and Dorothea to practice on, it was very fascinating to see it being done in a human being. A part of her, the one that wasn’t fretful over the entire endeavor, simply marveled at what she saw and tugged at her, wanting to do the same. Wanting to become better, to be able to properly heal.

“Do you wanna try that spell for her temperature or just the bleeding method?” Ariel inquired after a while, when they both straightened their backs and looked at one another since they were done with just examining her.

“The spell would work faster and we wouldn’t need to keep watching on her, though it does lose effect if it’s used too often and that little girl did some sort of healing magic on her already so…” Cassandra sighed, hands on her waist. “We should get the spell going and then meet up with Manuela.”

“Yeah, she’ll want to hear the news. Also, have you heard the rumors that not all of them are orphans and Dorothea used to be a thief? Some people say they recognize her from the streets and she never sounded too noble for me.”

“If nothing, I’d say this little one is the noble. I mean, she sews, knows some piano and the way she speaks, I don’t know. I could be reading too much into it but it all looks so shady. Showing up with three kids like that out of the blue, though, what was Manuela thinking?” The woman agreed, rubbing her hands together in anticipation for calling on magic.

“If they have other homes to go back to, I don’t know, they should be sent there. Caring for kids is all fun and games until they get sick, destroy your house and set fire to your workplace.” Ariel commented, earning a chuckle from Cassandra.

The sound was completely at odds with the expression of shock on Manuela’s face, the fear which ran through her bloodstream in a cold wave that made her shiver and almost audibly gasp. Even Byleth, usually more stoic and centered, had her eyes narrowed and her body poised as if to strike and knock them both away from the sleeping girl. Upon seeing this, the songstress placed a reassuring hand on the thief’s shoulder and squeezed it soothingly.

“It’ll be worse if we react. It’ll almost be like us saying it’s true.” Manuela whispered, though it wasn’t lost on her that her voice trembled, betraying the depth of emotion she hadn’t wanted to overwhelm the kid with. In any case, that was enough for Byleth to glance up at her for a few seconds and nod, body relaxing a little.

They turned again as Cassandra and Ariel talked a bit about the spell and instructed one another on how to go about it (apparently there was more than one way to perform it and Byleth made a mental note of all of them). When they placed open palms over the sleeping princess, the thief turned to look at a dazed Manuela and noticed how downcast and defeated her eyes were. Her face, so pale it reflected the torchlight around them in hues of orange and yellow, the sight making extra shadows appear in the hollows of her irises.

“Maybe they’re right, though.” The songstress mumbled, shoulders slumping forward, an admittance of defeat on their own. “Byleth, you have to stop playing hide and seek with adults that can help. Maybe her uncle is gone and it would be safe for her to return home. That doesn’t mean you have to stop seeing one another.” She added, once the girl opened her mouth to interject. “But not like this. Neither of you deserve to go on like this, there are people out there who worry about you.”

If there was any way for Manuela to turn back time, that would completely be the moment in which she would do it. She had thought those words could help, could talk some sense into the thief and make her see how serious and delicate the situation was. It was no longer time for their games, for make believe and pretending that they could go on in that way. Edelgard was a princess to begin with and there was no way to keep a princess in the streets forever – she shouldn’t even be there to begin with.

Moreover, she had nothing but their testimony, the testimony of two children, to guide her on the entire matter. Had she bought their story a bit too eagerly? What if they had only been too impressionable in that night and misread the entire setting? Perhaps Edelgard’s uncle had been meaning to surprise her with a trip to the Kingdom and she had acted out, causing him to lash out on her for no reason. Sure, so the lack of guards in the city wasn’t lost on her and neither was the fact that absolutely no member of the Imperial family had come forth about the matter of her disappearance, but even so. There was a very good explanation for those things too, there must be.

Regardless of her logic, which due to the circumstance and the fact she didn’t know about Hubert’s reports wasn’t as sound as she thought it to be, Byleth reacted too strongly to that. She was finally able to yank herself away from the woman’s grasp, face twisting in an expression of anger that made her posture coil again. Her cornflower blue eyes burned in hatred, as if the diva had just told her to offer Edelgard as a human sacrifice to the Goddess or something like that. She opened her mouth to say something, then remembered the fact they were undercover when sounds of steps came from the two healers. Thus she simply held Manuela’s wrist and pulled her away, breaking into a run the moment they were out of the narrow hallway.

“Why are we –“

“They’ll come for ya. Can’t know we were there.” Her answer was curt, raspy and unwilling. Half of her mind had wanted to run away from the songstress and her suggestions, but that would mean abandoning Edelgard to those adults and their designs. Another part had asked her to get into the room and take the princess with her right then and there, just as she had done in front of the so-called uncle, but that would make everyone weary, to the point that she would be stopped sooner or later by other performers.

No, this wasn’t the time for an improvised maneuver. It was just like the good, important missions she would do with the Blade Breakers back in the day, which meant it would need as much preparation and care as she could muster. And she would have to outsmart them, too, not that it would be hard to do so.

Her mistake had been believing just for once that grownups could help, that Manuela would listen to a kid instead of what was called reason, logic or just common sense. Those dictated that children weren’t really to be trusted since they saw and felt too much of everything, that only adults had the right of things as they had developed a better mind to deal with them.

In Byleth’s eyes, that was nothing but a really bad lie. Grownups were kids that had had their senses dulled and could no longer perceive reality as it was, or actually see things at all. They were too busy with their own brains, with what others wanted from them to notice what was happening. And sure, she knew some kids who were like that too, but even so. It had been stupid of her to entrust the songstress with Edelgard.

She just hoped she would be strong, smart and fast enough to repair that error before it was too late and that man, that man with the terrifying, angry lilac eyes so unlike the princess’s would never come close to any of them at all.

It didn’t take long for the healers to go find her and Manuela perched on the first row seats, watching some performers go through their scenes after receiving corrections from Stephen. Their eyes were listless and not really registering anything in front of them, as that was simply a disguise to the fact they had indeed been listening to everything that was said before – and dreading the conclusion that Cassandra and Ariel had gotten to, as well.

They approached Manuela and promptly ignored Byleth, their eyes not even registering the fact that the kid was still there. That was fine and expected, all things considered – even in the Blade Breakers she had been deemed too young to participate in some discussions and conversations. What wasn’t fine about that, however, was the fact that they were talking about Edelgard, her friend and protégée, and she more than had a right to know. So the way they averted their eyes from the young thief when they sat down and addressed the diva made a volatile, expansive feeling boil deep inside her.

That, she knew, was anger. That, she also knew, was good to have when she could do something, but not so good when she couldn’t (yet) and it might lead her to doing something foolish. So she seethed, crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead while listening to the conversation she was being kept away from.

“We did our best back there.” Ariel said in a contrite voice. That, contrasted with the off-putting tone he had used before, made Byleth snort as softly as she could – luckily that didn’t draw their attention at all. “She’s running a fever, so we used a spell to keep it down.”

“It’s nothing major, really.” Cassandra added, shrugging. “Kids get sick all the time and she probably just overdid herself while being a bit ill already. Her getting some peace and quiet will help, but I’d say you should stop by the apothecary and grab some herbs for a tea. Ginger will be amazing if it’s a flu.” The woman exhaled, then went on: “Manuela, you said Edelgard is Dorothea’s cousin, right? Maybe you shouldn’t be the one dealing with this at all.”

“Yeah I mean, for your own sake and hers, too.” Ariel said, turning fully to the songstress, his face finally a lot more serious than it had ever been. “Imagine if something else happens to any of them and you have to write to their families, announcing they’re dead – well, anyone can die, you know. I’m just saying.” He added when both women gave him reproachful glares.

“Even so, you don’t have to be so blunt about it, jeez.” Cassandra batted him away, rolling her eyes. “But in any case, do consider that for your sake and theirs too. You’re a great, kind soul and we know it. But you don’t have to care for kids that aren’t your own just to prove that.”

Manuela sighed, her eyes downcast. Her entire demeanor, which was usually bright and helpful, for the first time was blatantly shrouded with questions and thoughts that had been weighting on her mind for a while. It was hard for her not to wonder if she was doing the actual right thing.

Yes, she absolutely should have taken them out of the streets – that was not the place for anyone to live in, much less kids. But would it have been better if she had contacted Byleth’s and Edelgard’s families from moment one? Should she have bought into their story and helped them to go on hiding?

It was too late to answer those, to rewind time and make things actually right. It didn’t mean she couldn’t act better from then on, having their best interest in mind. And true enough, she wasn’t their mother. She was far from being the role model they should follow, what with her life as a songstress and all that it entailed.

She looked to her left side and saw Byleth with a set expression she couldn’t read. As stoic as the child was, it wasn’t difficult to fathom she was opposed to that talk, to the inevitable decisions that were being drafted from there. Manuela’s heart beat with a painful lurch at the thought she would have to do something all of them were against, but there was a reason why she was their guardian and responsible for them, in a sense.

“You’re right and I know it.” The songstress admitted, turning back to the other adults beside her. “I- I’ll see what I can do about this, but surely they deserve a lot better than what I can give them.”

“Hey, no.” Cassandra said in a small voice, a bit contrite. Maybe they should have addressed it in a lighter way, she had never wanted to hurt the other woman to begin with. “You’re great with them. I mean, they’re helpful, kind and really nice to be around. Believe me when I say I’ve seen many kids who are completely insufferable at their age.”

“Insowfferable.” Byleth mumbled in a small voice, almost as if correcting them, but she wasn’t heard over the singing and acting going around on the stage. Her chest ached at the direction that conversation was heading and how, as always, she and the other kids weren’t given any right to voice their opinions.

But then what else was new, right?

Before she could let anger finally get the best of her, Byleth turned her head the slightest to glance at the adults beside her, to gauge how engrossed in their own dialogue they were. The fact that they barely managed to laugh as one of the performers made a terrible joke about the Emperor and the lack of guards in the city was enough of an answer per se, at least for the young thief. She had seen similar scenarios before, where kids were disregarded and that had led to terrible consequences.

Perhaps it was time to use that cluelessness to her advantage again. Even if she dreaded the thought of what she would have to do next, but the possibility of staying there was even worse.

With the smallest, least abrupt movements she could manage to do, Byleth got to her feet and walked away, making sure her steps weren’t audible and that neither of the three grownups had noticed her absence. As expected they didn’t, not even when she was halfway through the left side of the theater or climbing up to the stage. There were fewer artists there, as many had actually left for their lunch break, and most were the people that had gotten some corrections and wanted to have Stephen help them in one way or another. Nevertheless, she remained unspotted and uncalled, which was a relief and something she would have to rely on if she wanted her plan to work.

At first she had thought about waiting for when night fell and they were back in Manuela’s place, maybe even in their own beds and supposedly asleep. That had felt like the most logical thing to do, as the songstress was always locked away in her own study room or in the living room, curled up with a book or a dozen and taking notes, back leaning forward, her focused face illuminated by the single candle which was placed beside her, almost setting fire to the paper she was writing on.

The thief couldn’t take chances, though. It wasn’t smart to count on Manuela being distracted that night as well, or not as attentive as she sometimes was when it came to the kids and their moods. Despite what those healer bastards had said, the woman was very perceptive when it came to the children’s thoughts and Byleth couldn’t run the risk of her catching on to her intentions.

Plus, it wasn’t as if the toughness of that decision wasn’t displayed in her face already, Byleth noticed as she passed in front of the common dressing room and saw herself in the mirrors, a frown etched across her eyes and the sadness that hung on them, making the cornflower tone in her irises more diluted. Her chest already ached at that prospect, but was there really another way? Would three mere children be able to talk a grownup out of doing things other grownups had convinced her to?

Byleth was no expert on the way the world outside of the Blade Breakers worked, having only a few months’ worth of exposure to it and in the company of two other kids. However, she was no fool as to how kids held no argumentative power, or so it seemed. One wasn’t heard until they reached a certain age, as if they had been too dumb to have any preferences, thoughts or feelings before. Sure, some places were different than the others and she had been respected at the Mittelfrank, but still. When it came to something as important as their future, she had a feeling talking to Manuela now that the healers had intervened would be stupid and a waste of time.

Time she couldn’t really waste, not if she wanted all of them to be safe and sound from the evils of the world. And if the songstress wouldn’t see their side of things, well… Byleth wouldn’t let her charge be put at risk. Even if that meant –

The thought failed her, even more so as she approached the dressing room that Edelgard had been stacked in. Some fury rose inside of her, at the fact that she had been left unattended like that, but at the same time it was for the best. Their distraction would allow for her to do what she needed to.

The second she crept inside the room and closed its door behind her, she heard another one open and wasn’t able to keep curiosity at bay. Thus before even looking at the princess, Byleth eased the door up a small sliver and glanced outside again. Her eyes went wide and stung with something new when she saw Dorothea strolling outside, probably towards the stage, her face open and radiating happiness with an earnest smile that hadn’t been there in weeks.

That was when she realized the little singer knew nothing about what had happened to Edelgard earlier on, since they hadn’t seen any sign of her before. Thea had been dismissed earlier from practice and told to rest, since they would do another, longer run of the play in the afternoon and she was supposed to get some pointers from Mr. Aureus, something that she had been looking forward to instead of dreading. So it was probably safe to assume she had been napping at hers and Manuela’s dressing room for all this time, oblivious to what was going on and how many things were about to change.

“Sorry, Dorothea.” Byleth whispered, finally closing the door behind her for good, her mind wishing that Manuela would have the decency to hide the fact that Edelgard had fainted until later in the day, when the rehearsal was done with.

When, if everything went according to plan, she and the princess would more than likely be nowhere in sight.

Her chest hurt at the prospect of it, of leaving behind the little girl they had been with for so long. The girl they had seen grieve in silence, then in song once she was accepted in the theater to start her own dream. Dorothea belonged there and it was nice that she was able to find her place and a home with Manuela.

The same couldn’t be said of either Byleth or Edelgard, the older kid thought as she got closer to the couch and watched her charge lying still over it. At least the healers had placed a thin blanket over her and she was no longer shivering due to a fever, so she could be thankful for those things – the rest of their intervention, though, had been completely unnecessary. She and the princess had never really fit into that little corner of the world and they knew they had been given occupations only because Manuela was their diva and Stephen was a kind man.

Which, sure, they would forever be thankful for, but in any case. They couldn’t remain where they weren’t really needed, right? Not if it only made everyone uncomfortable and, which was worse, could end up spelling trouble for them.

The older child stared for a moment, torn. She knew it wasn’t the exact second to go – if Dorothea was on the stage she’d totally see and notice them leaving. The last thing she wanted was for the little songstress to witness that, their betrayal in a sense. It would be hard enough when she noticed they were gone. Her head ached just thinking about it, about having to hurt a girl she had grown to care about so much, as much as she had Edelgard, by pretty much abandoning her.

They had vowed to stay by her side. To break that vow, after Dorothea lost her mother no less, would be an act of treason in a way. Yet they would be forced to leave her regardless if Manuela called on the Emperor and the Blade Breakers, right? The only difference would be that, by running away, the two of them would still be safe.

Those words didn’t exactly ease Byleth’s mind, but at least they stopped her eyes from stinging as she settled her arms around the sleeping princess. The thief halted for a second when she stirred, then simply edged closer and nuzzled on her shoulder. A small smile crept on Byleth’s face, the first of that entire afternoon, while she took the first few steps out of that room and slowly closed it with her feet after making sure the hallway was empty.

Sounds of voices reached her from the stage and beyond, a confirmation that they were all still there and her showing up with Edelgard – even if she were to break into a run – wouldn’t be the smartest thing in the world. She couldn’t stay at their dressing room either, that was obvious and could raise suspicion. Yet at the same time…

If she hid anywhere else and they couldn’t find her, it would make everything worse. The performers would start looking for them and eventually find them, making the possibility of escape a completely null one. Sometimes the obvious places were the best ones, honestly, and she could recall several times when strategies like that did work for her and the Blade Breakers before. Even if in those occasions they had been trying to steal some weapons, money or other valuables instead of well, a human being. The principle was the same, at least in her mind, and as she slipped into Dorothea’s and Manuela’s dressing room to wait, she hoped it would indeed work.

Byleth didn’t know for how long she should wait. Although she had said she should craft some sort of strategy for that, in the end she acted out of impulse the moment she had gotten to her feet and abandoned Manuela with the healers, her mind worried about Edelgard being left alone in that room. Maybe she should have thought things better, but she had always been more prone to taking action than waiting and thinking it over and at least for most of the times it had worked out in the end.

Hoping it would be the same this time wasn’t any helpful either, as it wouldn’t make her get any closer to accomplishing her ultimate goal, which was leaving the Opera House without being noticed. For that, she knew she would need a distraction, or for almost everyone to be distracted at the very least. And that was the sort of thing she would never get if she stayed inside the dressing room, even if she were trying to look inconspicuous to Manuela and Dorothea.

No one had gone back there for a while though, not to their particular dressing room nor to the ones around it. She had been keeping an ear glued to the door and both eyes trained on a still sleeping Edelgard, who had moved around one or twice but made no motion to get up or open her eyes. Which was good in a sense – Byleth thought it would be easier if she could just leave without telling her what had been going on. The princess would be sad and scared if she knew about what had been said about her and that was something the thief would rather avoid. She understood how out of place El felt in the theater and not only due to her awful experience with Bended Needle.

Well, the older child thought after what felt like an hour of that, wasn’t there a chance that she was losing a golden opportunity to make her way out already? She would never know if she kept to the room. There was always a time for hiding, for pretending nothing out of the ordinary was happening, and another to act.

She moved swifter this time, gently cradling Edelgard against her chest and opening the door, then almost darting through the hallway after making sure the common dressing room was empty (it was). She stopped right before getting on stage and watched, transfixed, at what she had missed so far.

Maybe someone had decided they would take a longer break later, or Manuela and Dorothea had gone to eat something without Byleth and Edelgard, which wasn’t odd since at times the two got so involved into what they were doing that occurrences like that went unnoticed. The thing was, it seemed that recess was over, since all cast and crew were going through another run of the play while Stephen watched and stopped them once in a while.

Lights were turned on and off as different spells were used to change their intensity and color from time to time. They fell on parts of the scenery, on actors or the whole stage depending on what was going on. Since by then everyone knew the opera by heart, it wouldn’t be tough for Byleth to predict what would happen next, including where the lights would be.

The grin which spread over her face was humorless, more an expression of a victory that didn’t deserve to be celebrated than anything else. More than anything, she hated that it had come down to it, to her having to escape with Edelgard lying limply in her arms so as to not have to face them getting separated and put in danger due to adults being dumb.

Nevertheless, soon it was the time for Elise and her other siblings to ask Corrin why she was choosing Hoshido at that moment (it was right in the beginning of the play, if Byleth’s memory was right), lamenting the loss and the fact they were being pitied against each other. The scene was so telling, so significant to what she was about to do, that it almost brought tears to Byleth’s eyes. No, she wasn’t becoming anyone’s enemy. She was just saving the one she had sworn to protect before it was too late to do so.

The second the lights deepened into something dramatically dark, setting upon Manuela as Corrin, then Dorothea and a few other actors who were playing the torn, saddened Nohrian siblings, Byleth clutched Edelgard tighter against herself and made her feet as silent as she could. Luckily the orchestra also had to pick up at that point, to add a _crescendo_ to the song in order to make the scene even more impactful, and that would be enough to mask her mistakes if she ever made them.

She took a first step away from the ones she had grown to trust and love. Her clothes were black, mingling perfectly with the darkened atmosphere, and only Stephen remained in the audience. He wouldn’t see her, unless all of a sudden he called for a cut and the lights were turned on. Thus for the first time in her life she prayed for that Goddess that Edelgard had told her about, prayed that no one would make a blatant error and force the director to stop everything as it was.

Byleth silently bid her farewells as her feet hit the wooden stage floor, then the rocky stone steps and the velvety theater floor. No one had seen her, nor would them now if she kept moving slowly and steadily forward. She did have time, as she had managed to get off the stage before the lights could increase in intensity (which would happen after Corrin “defeated” her Nohrian family), but she wanted to get out of there as soon as she could.

Her legs longed to run, her lungs burning with the need for fresh air, eyes seeking the open world instead of a place that had brought her so many nice memories which were now being forced to come to a close like that. Without claps from a happy crowd, or her bowing in standing ovation, but rather running away in the shadows of a theater like the thief she was. Leaving behind another girl, one that had been part of her life for so little time, but had given her so many good moments for those months that they were together.

It would be fine, Byleth thought as she finally reached the entrance to the amphitheater and quickly got out of there, to an empty Entrance Hall. It would be fine because Dorothea had not only Manuela, but the entire Mittelfrank looking after her. She had a family and was no longer alone, would probably never be alone. She had the love of the public that would fondly watch her grow and give her even more than she ever thought she would ever have, that she even thought she deserved to begin with.

In the end, maybe Dorothea wouldn’t even miss them at all. She didn’t have any more need for them at the very least, or so did Byleth think the moment she stepped out into the streets of Enbarr and turned to look at the Opera House, at the street they had walked through so many times while going to and from Manuela’s place in the beginning and ending of the day.

She wanted to stop for a breath, recount the sunrises and moons they had witnessed together, hand in hand, as the world had seemed a different, safer, less hostile place if only for a few months. And how soon, how easy that had turned around, the minute other adults had been called to pitch in with their unwanted opinions and convictions to begin with.

The pain of it all made Byleth’s entire body burn, however, and soon enough she could no longer stand it. When Edelgard mumbled in her sleep and shifted closer to the thief, face no longer pale but a far cry from how rosy and healthy it had been when they set out in that journey, the older child turned her back on the Mittelfrank and finally ran.

Her feet found purchase on the even ground, through places they had been to and either strolled aimlessly as young kids in an adventure or darted around in escape from an adult or another, while being little thieves squeaking with delight at what they had been able to get for themselves.

This time there was nothing in Byleth’s arms but another child and the flimsy blanket covering her, keeping her warm. All her weapons were stored at Manuela’s and the last thing she wanted was to go back there and revisit more memories just to grab them. They had no food either, nor a place to stay, but both of those things would be easy to solve. Well, easier if Edelgard was awake and if Byleth’s entire body wasn’t feeling heavy with guilt and regret at her own self and at what she had been forced to do.

She passed in front of stores and markets they had raided months ago, others that the three of them had visited with Manuela on the rare times they weren’t needed at the Mittelfrank. Her mind conjured up images and recollections of both, adding that to the thing which almost kept her from breathing properly.

Even then, Byleth didn’t slow down, couldn’t bring herself to slow down and be confronted with nothing but silence, an overcast day and the endless possibilities of what she could and had to do from that moment on.

One thing she knew, though, and would rely on that as a crutch and a compass to guide her next decisions: she would never, ever let any harm come to Edelgard, no matter what it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's how Dorothea is left behind at the opera house and the girls press forward on their journey xP they had to get separated sooner or later but I have to admit it was super fun to write the three little musketeers like that, causing all the mischief they could in Enbarr and then helping out at the Mittelfrank. That's the end of that arc too - and is the end of children Edeleth coming? hmmmmm 
> 
> As for how Edelgard got sick: although it is true that kids are more susceptible to illnesses, this was a long time in the making. Little El was the only one tending to Cerys's wounds and not in a very safe way either. Took some time and some stress for her to come down with it but there you go.
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great rest of the week!


	18. "Safe" Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth takes Edelgard through Enbarr, thinking about where it would be better for them to stay and gathering some goods for the two of them.   
> When she sees something - or somethings - that haven't been there in a long while, she is forced to go back to where their adventure started some months ago.

Enbarr flashed through them in blurry forms and unfocused buildings, though even if Byleth were to slow down to a walk she had a feeling she wouldn’t really see anything else around her. The one thing her entire mind was focused on that moment was getting away, putting some distance between the two of them and the Mittelfrank Opera Company or, more specifically, to the adults that would bring harm to the girl she had sworn to protect.

The rhythm of her feet hitting the stony ground, no longer precise and silent like she usually did but loud and clumsy due to the adrenaline which pulsed through her body, became the one constant to that afternoon. Even when her breath hitched and her arms tired from carrying a sleeping Edelgard, the thief pressed on, aimlessly turning left or right when her body felt like it, guided by intuition alone instead of the carefully constructed plan she wished she had had before taking both of them away from the opera house.

But then, time had been of utmost importance – and she had had no idea how much of it was available to her back then. How long until the performers stopped their run through and Manuela decided she should contact the Imperial family, inform them she had the princess and that, yes, she was ill for some reason or another? And oh, the girl had told them some weird story about her uncle trying to forcibly take her to Fhirdiad but hey, that was just her overactive mind right?

Nothing productive would come of her feeling bad or wondering if she had acted correctly and Byleth knew it. She had seen the signs that Manuela was indeed about to do something about it – something that completely excluded the children’s wishes and only focused on her experiences as a grownup. In any case, there they were right then, darting through a stony city that had been their home for a while before, then come to watch Dorothea’s debut on the big stage and now…

And now what?

Yeah, she really had no clue about it at all, but in any case the most important thing was to keep both her and Edelgard hidden. Sure, there were no guards around and there had been no sight of Jeralt and the Blade Breakers for the longest time – had they left the city? It would be ok if they had, it would even make their lives a lot better if that was the case – but still. The two kids couldn’t be out in the open for too long, but there were certainly some places they would have to avoid.

Now that she didn’t actually have to focus on how to break them out of the Mittelfrank and were already in the opening, her mind started going through possible outcomes and next steps she should take. At the same time, she halted and stopped altogether, then saw that she was in the outskirts of a plaza, one that the three kids had visited a tad often since it had a nice fountain in the middle that was useful for taking baths (and also some bakeries which they would raid in rotation, but that was neither here nor there).

Realizing she was a bit out of breath and her arms could use some rest, Byleth took a seat close to the rocky wall of a bakery, for a few seconds was more than content to watch the movement around her. How adults and kids went on their own ways, some brooding, some merry, some sparing her and the princess a few cursory, curious glances without saying anything. At times they would frown and tut at the sight, but they were just gone anyways, so it didn’t bother Byleth at all.

At least not as much as it did that she had to leave Dorothea and Manuela behind, as well as the promise of a good roof over their heads. The importance of that last part was emphasized by how the clouds around them were gathering, each darker and heavier than the last, and soon enough there would be some rain. Not a good thing for a sick little girl to catch, all things considered.

“Think, Byleth.” She whispered to herself, glancing down at Edelgard’s relaxed face once she sighed and moved a bit in her sleep. Would she want to be away? Would she understand why they were hiding again?

For her to find that out, she would have to keep the princess close to her instead of running the risk of them being separated by the woman who had offered them a house before.

The first idea that came to her was going back to their old alley, the one that they had seen hosting other kids one afternoon, when they passed through that on a stroll. Although she had no weapon, Byleth knew she could convince those urchins to let them stay, but that sounded too obvious even for her. Surely Dorothea or Manuela would think about checking there and maybe things would only get worse if they were found. What if the songstress decided she would have to be kept away from El? That’d be even less ideal than if they had remained there and waited until the creepy uncle arrived to retrieve her.

Well, it could be any other alley, then. They had passed through plenty when they were looking for Dorothea on the day she had stolen Edelgard’s bracelet (a quick check on the girl’s wrist revealed she had taken it with her, so one less thing to remain at Manuela’s). Would it really be a bad move to return to one of those and remain there again for the time being? And then… and then…

And then her brain came out with no solution whatsoever, which wasn’t good since housing wasn’t the only problem she had to solve as of then.

She was startled out of her thoughts when a coin landed close to her feet, making her look up in surprise and grab for an imaginary sword on her waist, only to realize she was wearing the crew’s uniform and had nothing on her. Suddenly a bit on edge, though not for her sake, she looked up and her eyes widened once she realized that a girl a little older than her was looking down at them with nothing but kindness in her gaze.

“For you and your sister, missy.” She said, motioning toward the golden coin that had spun a bit and laid to a stop beside her left foot. “I don’t have much but figured you could use some help.”

Her clothes were more rags than anything else, a servant’s garments that had neither been cleaned nor fixed for a while. There were tears here and there, the sort of thing Edelgard had been sewing back at the opera company; despite all of that, and how dirty her face was under some shaggy brown hair, her pink eyes shone with nothing but love and care, the wish to do more somewhat buried under the guilt that she couldn’t.

“Thanks.” Byleth answered, picking up the coin as swiftly as she could with the hand that had been nestled under Edelgard’s knee. The movement made the princess groan, a small sound that nevertheless called the newcomer’s attention.

“Is she ok?” The girl remained on her feet, some centimeters in front of them as if sure that the thief would bolt if she got any closer.

“A tad sick.” She uttered, unconsciously drawing her body closer just in case. The last thing she wanted was to run into trouble with whoever that was, even though Byleth knew she could defeat her even with Edelgard lying limp in her arms. Er, she could, right? She had to in any case.

“Ah. Well, there’s an inn nearby where the owner is a healer, if you wanna try that out. She’s helped me and my brothers for the longest time, totally free of charge.” Her tone was on the grateful, open side, but she kept shifting her weight from foot to foot as if either impatient or not completely honest about it.

“Where’s your brothers?” Byleth kept watching her body more than her words, as she had long ago learned to trust that more than anything that left a person’s mouth. It was rare for people to realize how most of the time their bodies talked more than what they were saying. Their unawareness was again another thing the thief had been able to capitalize on for a long time.

“Dead. Healer couldn’t save them all but she did me. Now I work for her and do whatever I can to pay my debt. Name’s Ladislava, by the way.” She added and was about to offer a hand to Byleth, thought better of it and let her arm drop to the side.

“Another weird name.” Byleth grumbled, shaking her head. Before the girl could question her on it, she went on: “Well ain’t completely for free then, right? You paying her with your work. Not that I would go there anyways. Healers are good for nothing these days.”

She had been a bit too brute with that statement, she knew. Some healers were probably amazing and wouldn’t be discussing Edelgard’s health as if she were just another kid they had tried to help, like Cassandra and Ariel had done. And sure, others wouldn’t help some kid like Ladi-something-or-the-other (Ladislewva?) only to make them work for free afterwards. But in any case, she was tired of adults and the way they did things.

Hence, while she was met with startled, slightly annoyed pink eyes, Byleth rose to her feet in one smooth movement, thanked the stranger with a small bow and left, this time walking instead of running and smirking when she heard Ladislava yell something in protest. Well, she was free to go on being a slave like that. The thief would make the best of what she had, get them something to eat and some weapons with that coin before figuring out the most important, difficult question ever in that point.

How the hell was she supposed to help Eldegard?

The answer would come later, when she had actually managed to get food for her and her “sister” for free – there were really some kind souls out there, or maybe it was the overcast weather that was making them a bit gloomier and thoughtful, more eager to help a sick girl out – and had also gotten a dagger with the famed five-finger-discount (meaning she just got close enough to the weapon store that foolishly displayed some of their wares outside and grabbed the first one she could before anyone noticed).

Now with a small pack full of edibles on her back and a weapon hanging from the crook of her arm, she looked around herself and realized she was in a rather nice street, not too far away from their old alley. A part of her wondered if she could get some shelter around there just for old time’s sake, her eyes going here and there while her ears were attentive to whatever sound El could make.

And then, right there, as if they had been in that place forever (like they should, all things considered) she saw something that made her blood chill.

Because unless her memory had gone bad or she was getting things mixed up, that guy standing still and stiff, a lance in arms and wearing a very fancy uniform of gold, red and black, looked exactly like the Imperial guards she and the Blade Breakers had avoided or fought against all those months ago, when they had raided the palace.

She froze in place, her arms almost faltering as she held the Imperial princess close to her body and waited. He hadn’t seen them, but then Byleth had been moving quietly, the adrenaline from escaping already gone and her mind running a tad more logically until that moment, keeping closer to the edges of the streets and squares. Had she passed through others before and, in her dazed state of mind, didn’t see them at all? She doubted it – sure, the two of them had stopped looking for guards or soldiers to run away from after they failed to appear after too long, but still.

Well, they were bound to return to a city that was theirs to guard, even if only in theory since nothing had really changed with their absence. And now there they were, one of them at least, looking grandiose, almost smug in the uniform and with a weapon in tow. Oh, how easy it would be for Byleth to humiliate him, and how a part of her wanted to do just that… but she knew how useless that would be. She had someone to care for and that was bigger than any sense of fun she would get from provoking that guy.

Hence she turned away as naturally as she could, retraced her steps before he could even spot her and wonder what was going on, and was about to start darting again when she saw another guard rounding the corner. That one surely hadn’t been there before, right? She had been in that street just a few minutes ago and would have seen her, standing proud with an axe in hands instead of a lance.

So they were coming back as of then? While afternoon slowly turned into evening, no less? She knew there were a few hours before the sun set, so wouldn’t it be wiser for the guards to either parade under the sunlight in a display of power or surreptitiously get there at night, while nobody was watching? Shrugging, she decided it wasn’t her business anyways, she wasn’t the Emperor and her task was to defend his daughter from the exact people who were coming back to Enbarr as of then.

Which could only mean one thing: The capital was also no longer safe for them.

“This is getting tough.” She muttered under her breath, sighing and trying to think about what to do next. Byleth had to get them away from there before someone even thought about intercepting her and asking more questions than they should. And she had to think fast, or else –

“B- Byleth?”

The small voice made her flinch due to how sudden it was, how strained it sounded too. She had to keep a wince from her eyes when she looked down and was met with a pair of confused, hazy lilac eyes completely focused on her. It made the thief’s chest clench to see her like that, but she had to be strong, at least for then. For both of them, too.

“Hey, you ok?” She inquired and kept walking, tried glancing straight ahead all the time while seeking for an escape point, somewhere the guards weren’t looking at. A sigh left her lips when more came to join those who were already in position; the last thing she needed was for so many of them to come back at once.

Just in the exact same day Manuela had talked about sending them back to their parents, too. What now, should she expect to see some of the Blade Breakers around? Had they been notified in some way that the kids were there? Wondering wouldn’t help anything, though, and as of then the guards had yet to pay attention to her. Thus she simply pressed on, uncaring, as if their presence changed nothing in her life – when in fact it changed everything.

“Mhm. I… guess.” Edelgard mumbled, her voice still faltering here and there. However, outside of that it did look like she was a lot better than before, what with how her eyes were slowly coming back into focus and very alert to their surroundings too. “What- what is going on? Where are we?”

The panic was palpable in her tone and was expected, too. But it wasn’t the time for them to deal with that, not when a similar feeling was clouding Byleth’s head for a very different reason. “Later. You should rest some more now. I’ll keep you safe, promise.”

They locked eyes for a second, tired, scared lilac on reassuring, soft blue. A moment later and Byleth had to look away, trying to gauge if the distance was good enough for her to walk through a square when the guard was staring at the other side of the place. Apparently her words had been enough to convince the little girl, though, since she felt the princess snuggling closer to her and exhaling loudly, then simply relaxing against her grip again.

That was for the best, at least for as long as they were in Enbarr. Once they were somewhere safe – wherever that was – she would answer all questions and help as much as she could. Though by then she had a really good idea about where they would have to go, even more so after she saw another guard pulling some kids out of an alley and chastising them as if there was no tomorrow.

Yes, she would have to drag them back to where it had all started. Into the woods that surrounded the city, as far away from humans and civilization as they could afford to be.

Byleth could swear it hadn’t taken that long for them to get from the forest to the city before – but then, she hadn’t had to carry a sleeping princess or wedge her way around guards to begin with. This time, she reached the outskirts of the capital when the sky was beginning to turn dark, then thanked whatever Goddess which could be listening that the only threat in that part of Enbarr were the impoverished people and no soldiers even dared stepping a foot in there.

It was easy to glare, to snort and sidestep them, just as she had done before while walking through with a scared, intimidated Edelgard who had never set foot outside of her palace before. Since no one even dared getting close enough to her and the princess had fallen into another deep slumber, that gave her time to reminisce as her feet avoided litter and holes in the ground, then felt them meeting less resistance as the ground turned from stone to soil and finally to the crunch of some grass and roots underneath her shoes.

How different it had been, back then. How they had been different people, unsure of where that journey would lead them or what would happen. And now there they were, many adventures past, one of them ill, the other weary and wondering about how to go on. Through it all, the one thing that had guided Byleth and still did was the wish to protect – that, she knew, she would never lose.

She jumped over bigger roots and sidestepped rocks, sensed the fresh, humid coldness of the forest setting against her face. Glancing down, she made sure Edelgard was completely covered and wouldn’t feel that decrease in temperature so abruptly either. It was a lot darker in there already, although the sun was setting in that moment and some luminosity still spilled over treetops, over rooftops they had just abandoned and the streets that would now be covered with the crimson, golden and black of those Imperial soldiers. It was strange to think that the place that had welcomed them was no longer their house, or had turned into somewhere to be avoided in all cases.

Byleth sighed, thinking it would be better if they didn’t go as deep into the woods as before. She might need to make more excursions into Enbarr, though she wasn’t looking forwards to this – those soldiers would make her life as a thief a tad more difficult, but honestly that wasn’t the gist of it. She just didn’t want to have to leave a weakened Edelgard by herself, even if need called to that. No, they would have to make do with that small weapon she had gotten and that food too; she could always get more fish and stuff from the rivers and trees when that ran out.

Once she found a tree that was tall and wide enough for them to lean against, she gingerly sat down and rearranged Edelgard so her head was lying on Byleth’s lap. Then she took the bag out of her back and placed it beside her, making sure nothing had spilled or been squashed through the journey. Content that it wasn’t the case, she turned back to the princess and watched her, thinking about whether or not to wake her up.

There was no need to think too much on it, though, since Edelgard stirred by herself and opened shiny lilac eyes that were sad and heavy, focused solely on Byleth’s face instead of roaming around like before. It was as if she already knew where they were, somehow.

“You been awake for a while right?” Byleth queried, her voice as soft as possible just in order to not scare her anymore if such a thing was even possible.

Edelgard nodded, shifting a bit so she could sit down on the soft ground. Byleth was astounded to see that she didn’t need any help doing so or leaning against the bark for support, though her movements were slow and she yawned every now and then. Could it be that the healers had actually done their jobs instead of just complaining and putting stupid ideas in Manuela’s head?

“Why are we in the forest?” The princess asked, her gaze falling on a pile of red and brown leaves in front of them. Her breathing was still faster than it should be and most of her weight was taken by the tree, but it was an improvement nonetheless to see her up and talking like that.

“City’s no longer safe.” Byleth hedged, wished she had asked about anything else other than that. The one issue she had wanted to delay since it made a chill run down her spine as well, though she had no idea why. That was exactly what happened when the princess opened her mouth again to speak.

“What has happened? I was awake indeed, but could not see anything due to how you were holding me back there.” Edelgard’s voice was still small, raucous, not at all like it usually was. The change in her demeanor was noticeable, given how as of recent she had mostly been asleep and lying down all the time. But more than that, there was something in her eyes, something sad and careful and dreading, too.

Something that was completely new and not at all nice to see.

Byleth turned to face her and the moment she did, her expression was stoic, as devoid of emotion as she could afford it to be, even though she had experienced a lot while going through those last few hours and getting to hear what she had. Keeping that in place, she proceeded to tell the princess everything that had transpired from the moment she fainted to them arriving at the forest, what had led to Byleth’s decision of running away with her and getting them both there, though she kept the part about the guards to the very end.

It was already too much to unravel what happened at the Mittelfrank and watch Edelgard’s reactions, the fear in her eyes once they talked about sending her back, one that intensified once Byleth got to the part where Manuela had agreed with it and seemed on the verge of doing so.

“So we… there was no time for you to talk to them and- ” Edelgard stammered, unsure of how to process how a lot of things had changed in so little time. In the little time that she had been asleep, too.

“No time, no chance. They wouldn’t listen, you know grownups. Those damn healers convinced Manuela you were lying or’d be better back at home.” At that moment Byleth did frown, but luckily it was even darker and she hoped the other girl wouldn’t notice.

“Dorothea…” That name was whispered with so much care, so much love and sadness that it tore at something inside of the older thief too. The sound was an echo of her feelings, of the one thing she had been fighting against and wishing to make different even as her feet carved more and more space between them.

Even as they left behind the other kid, the one they had stumbled upon as if on accident, and been together for so long. It hurt to know they wouldn’t wake up to the sound of her voice doing warmups before they were at the Mittelfrank, or fall asleep to her crooning to them if it was a particularly difficult night and they pleaded enough, saying just the right things to get her to sing them a lullaby. Or maybe- maybe they would, right?

“We don’t have to stay here forever, do we?” Edelgard queried, her tone hopeful, albeit small and fearful all the same. It was a contrast to how loud, how angry she had been the first time she and the thief were in that same setting before.

And as much as Byleth had felt a tad of a sting when the other girl yelled at her, she would much rather have that lively, furious princess trying to make sense of the world around her than that version of her that was sad, somewhat weak and more a shadow of her former self. Maybe, given time, things would go back to how they were before. It was simply a matter of getting used to being somewhere new again, she decided – or at least hoped for in any case.

But regardless of what would happen next, if there was one thing Byleth couldn’t bring herself to do, it was lying to the little princess. That was why she looked at her in an apologetic way and said: “Dunno for sure. For now it’d be better if we stay here. I saw some guards around Enbarr.” That last part was almost a whisper, the wind against the foliage that carried an admission that something was indeed wrong. So much so that it took a while for Edelgard to understand what had been said, then widen her eyes in alarm.

“Guards, back in the city? Why now?” Her question sounded more rhetorical than anything else, thus Byleth kept staring at another tree in front of them, unsure of how to respond. “Did they happen to notice us?”

“Did the best so they wouldn’t see me, yeah, but I think some of them did.” The thief answered after a few seconds spent in thought, fingers raking through the grass underneath them. It had been a long afternoon and she was weary, wearier than she had been in a long time, mostly due to how focused she had been in getting them out of there without really being seen. “They probably didn’t realize you were with me though.”

The princess nodded, silent and pensive again, her eyes hooded by more than just sadness. There were so many feelings there, some of which Byleth had glimpsed throughout their time together in different circumstances and learned how to soothe. She was at a loss about how to go about when all of them were together like that, though, running into one another and turning into something powerful, the currents of a strong river darting towards the sea.

Only there was no sea for Edelgard, no way for her to pour out such emotions in any form that wouldn’t be either too unbecoming or too exhausting for her. Although she had slept for some good hours and only woke up here and there while the healers worked on her, there was still a tinge of fatigue on her body and mind that told her to not go around spending energy in vain. Her very vague recollections of that morning were enough to warn her about what could happen if she did, something about her growing tired and fainting before.

Thus she closed her eyes and leaned against the tree which now was supporting all of her weight, arms limp against her sides, fighting both the tears that stung her eyes and the wish to lash out at Byleth for no reason at all. She thought she was beyond that, beyond letting fury have such a grab on her. No, she would not yell at her savior; one look at the older thief and Edelgard saw how tired she seemed to be as well. She would just deal with whatever came next in whatever way that a princess would.

“Thank you for saving me again, By.” She muttered, fingering a dried leaf on her left, keeping her voice in check so it would not have the chance to twist and turn into an angry scream. Before being mad at the turns the situation had taken, she was grateful for her companion and wanted to showcase that before anything else. “I feel like I am forever indebted to you.”

“Nuh.” The thief mumbled, glancing down as if the leaves in front of them were the most interesting things in the world.

Both of them were on edge and Edelgard understood why. It probably had not been an easy day to be Byleth Eisner either. Instead of prying as she wanted to, or picking at that answer for no reason, she simply sighed and leaned her head on the thief’s shoulder, then hugged her and caressed her back the way Byleth had done to her so many times.

It did the trick – well, kind of. Slowly, the older child eased into the touch and even her face relaxed, the frown opening into a neutral expression before blossoming in a smile. Eventually she turned around and embraced Edelgard too, setting her chin over her hair and exhaling loudly, letting tension leave her body. She knew a part of her had been scared of how the princess would react; the fact that she hadn’t called her names nor said anything hostile had made her relieved in a sense.

She would not deny being worried about Dorothea as well, though. Sure, now their friend had a home to call her own, a job in a place that she loved and the admiration of all those people who would pay whatever was asked of them to see both her and Manuela sing on the stage. And yes, she had Manuela too, so she wasn’t completely alone. But in any case, Byleth wondered how the little songstress was feeling, if she and the diva had wasted time looking for them through the city just as they had done that last time, and if they would be fine. She had to have hope that they would. She had to hope that they had at least helped Thea get somewhere, in a sense.

Byleth and Edelgard contemplated a strange existence in the woods. Their first night was restless, almost an echo of the first and only one they had spent there before. The princess slept perched on the older kid’s lap, though this time they didn’t have a jacket to use as a blanket. The one they had taken there was too thin to provide enough warmth and they didn’t want to start a fire in order to not give away their position – or the fact that there was someone out in the woods like that. Maybe it was instinct, or just them being hyperaware of their surroundings, but seeing the guards in Enbarr had made Byleth a thousand times more cautious about everything.

Hence they shivered together, huddled under the flimsy blanket, without enough body heat to make sure both could withstand that chilly evening. They silently missed Manuela’s house and their beds, the several duvets they could use and how recently they had gone back to sleeping together even when there had been enough mattresses to host an entire party in there. At least Dorothea, poor Dorothea that had been in the streets longer than either Edelgard or Byleth, hadn’t had to forsake that comfort and the new life she had gotten to experience at the theater. The place she had always belonged to, where she deserved to be.

If nothing, that thought solaced them, lulled them into a light slumber that was cut short whenever they heard wings flapping nearby or sounds of animals coming around. They were left alone in any case, as if those beings couldn’t care less about two kids (even if they did have food) and all they did was look at them before darting away.

At a point in time Edelgard remembered how scared she had been of monsters who lived in the forest, but the thought was brief and put to rest once she closed her eyes again. Byleth was a fighter; she herself had been growing skilled with an axe, so even if her body was weakened and not completely back to normal, well, she could still help out one way or the other, if such a creature were to indeed show up.

Not that it ever did, at least not in that night. They were up the moment the sun started creeping through the horizon and flooding both the unseen sky above them and the woods with some tones of pink and orange. It was a chore to simply get to their feet and stretch, given how sore their bodies were from lying on the cold, hard floor after having mattressed to sleep on for so many days.

“How you feeling?” Byleth inquired, winced when she heard her own shoulders cracking once she rolled them back to wake herself up.

“I am fine, thank you.” Edelgard answered on impulse. It was almost second nature for her to do so, what with her having to repeat those words for the last few weeks, whenever someone saw her yawning or leaning against a wall and almost falling asleep. She realized that she should have known better than to lie to the thief once that was met with a glare and a pout. The act was too endearing to be resisted, in a sense. “Oh please do not use these charms on me like that. I concede, I… have not been feeling my best as of recent.”

“Really now.” Byleth crossed her arms in front of her chest and rolled her eyes, then looked at her nails in what hinted at annoyance. It was hard to know coming from her, even though she had been getting better and better at showing emotions. “Thought you fainting was proof enough.”

Edelgard blushed and averted her eyes, understanding that she deserved that and anything else the other girl wanted to say to her. “I know you were aware of that and yes, according to your tale yesterday you were the one to find me in the small theater. So thank you again, Byleth. Were it not for you I- “

“So how you really feeling now?” She asked again, approaching the smaller kid and placing a hand on her forehead. The temperature seemed nice enough and a lot lower than it had been yesterday. That made her sigh in relief and wonder if maybe the healers had done their damn job at the very least.

“A bit better, honestly. But I still feel a little weak and dizzy.” The girl confided in her at last, looking deep into Byleth’s eyes once she took the back of her hand away and just regarded her in general.

“Sit down then. And get something to eat, you didn’t have anything after breakfast yesterday.” Neither had Byleth, but that was something she didn’t really care about at the moment. She had a princess to tend to first and foremost.

They plopped down and shared a meal, something simple with bread and some fruit from the place that had been kind enough to give the thief some food for free. She kept looking at Edelgard all the time and didn’t make any remark while they ate, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of how little the other girl was eating, or how slowly too.

“You not hungry?” She said after wiping her chin clean of some pear they had just shared. Yes, shared, because El hadn’t been able to finish her own alone.

“Not really, I mostly ate because, well, it would put you at ease and felt like the logic thing to do.” She admitted and glanced away, at a small flower growing underneath a tree. It was pretty, all red petals fanning away from the center, and made her wonder how it had been able to develop without enough sunlight. “In any case, what do you suggest we should do now?”

Byleth put a hand to her chin and frowned, as this question had been nagging at her the moment they had escaped from the Mittelfrank. “Lie low, probably. And maybe get some stuff to spend the night, it was too cold.” She winced at the thought, the motion subtle but noticeable for those who knew the girl.

“Then off to Enbarr we go, is it not? We could keep close to the borders and see if we find a store nearby, then raid it and- “

“Nope. No going to Enbarr, at least not you.” Byleth placed a hand on her forearm, as Edelgard had started a slow process of getting to her feet while using the tree behind them as a support. Yeah, she still wasn’t as healthy as she should be, but given a few more days, who knew. “If guards see you, we’re toast.”

“But we shall have to go there for provisions sooner or later, isn’t that so?” The princess argued. “What will happen once we run out of food? And what about weapons, I only see that dagger on you.”

“We’re in a forest.” Byleth deadpanned, as if that explained everything. As her companion only tilted her head and asked a silent question, she went on: “Food’s easy to get around here and we can make weapons with what we find. No need to go to the city and run the risk of guards seeing ya.”

Edelgard stopped and stared. _Oh._ Well, she did know that Byleth had spent most part of her life in “wilder” settings, for the lack of a better word. And sure, the Blade Breakers had an assortment of things on their convoy but surely they had known how to live by what the environment around them could provide, right? So that should have been obvious but oh well. In the end she had gotten used to telling Byleth to not steal and please use money to get them stuff – both sentences had always been completely ignored, of course.

“And what about the, hm, blankets or whatever you had in mind to ward off the cold? It is a shame that this one isn’t enough.” She asked while folding the one they had shared, wanting to hear what solution she could have to that.

“Easy-peasy.” Byleth jumped to her feet, smiling as she unsheathed the small blade she had robbed as an afterthought. Good thing she had, it would make matters a lot easier and at least now she could go back to practicing some fighting too. “Follow me if ya can.”

For a while they left behind the worries that had clouded their minds for the last few days. Byleth knew better than to break into a run, mindful of Edelgard’s still not good condition, and simply walked as silently as she could, hand in hand with her charge. Her free palm held the dagger, metal glistening under some rays of sunlight that got through the treetops and illuminated the natural, unmarred trail in front of them.

It was easy to get entertained by that setting, by the untouched beauty in front of them. It was also a very big contrast to what had been their surroundings and their home for the last few weeks. The shrubs and flowers, the many shadows that lurked underneath treetops and bigger rocks covered with stark green moss, the river they could hear nearby and soon got closer to it, with its silvery threads of rushing water glistening under some sunlight, was a sight to behold. They surely did get distracted in that place, examining small animals that creeped close to the ground and slithered under trees.

Whereas in the city they had been around cool, polished stone and equally detached, chilly glances from people that passed around them as if they were in a dream state, the woods were teeming with life at each corner that one turned to look. It was impressive in the same way that it was frightening, as each new, unknown sound caused them to stay on guard and wonder what could have caused it. Even the ruffling of leaves made the thief stand in front of the princess and wait – sometimes only to laugh at a little bird that had fallen from a nest nearby.

They walked for a long time while better mapping their vast, new abode, making some small talk about lighthearted issues and avoiding their actual thoughts on the present, the future that could be looming ahead of them and the past they had left behind. At times they stopped and listened, but for what Byleth never said as if speaking about it would scare whatever it was they were supposedly searching for.

That was, until they did indeed come upon something new, something that hadn’t been there before.

The older child had told them to return, as it didn’t feel like a nice idea for them to be so deep into the woods or so far away from the river either, a natural, easy source of food. Moreover, neither of them knew that place well and she didn’t want them to get lost, then never be able to retrace their steps back to Enbarr. While part of that had been a joke, she surely didn’t think it’d be nice for them to get too far in, thus they went back a little.

By that point in time, Edelgard had grown grumpy at all that walking and lack of an answer as to how they would keep warm during the nights. She had also started walking slower and sighing more and more often, which could be read either as a sign of tiredness or of anger – Byleth sincerely wished it was the latter over the former, she didn’t want to see the princess sick again, ever.

At one point, when El was about to whine on something or another, Byleth held a hand in front of her and stopped walking as well, motioning for her to do the same and stay silent. There was nothing at first, nothing important at least, both of them remaining with their eyes closed in order to better hear the myriad sounds of a forest that was teeming with life. Then, shy and small at first, the thief was able to pick up on rhythmic steps, so soft and graceful that she was kind of surprised at having distinguished them to begin with. But there they were, rustling leaves on the floor and branches on the shortest trees. An animal of sorts, something that was used to running and hiding just like they were.

But hell if Byleth wouldn’t get what she needed from that creature, whatever it was.

She turned to the princess and held a finger to her lips, then told her to stay put. Edelgard nodded, her eyes heavy-lidded and almost closing again. That sight made the thief reconsider and waver, but in the end she decided she would deal with her companion later, when they had something to cover themselves with. So in the end she shot El a worried look before setting out, stepping carefully on the balls of her feet and doing everything she could not to make a sound.

One step, another, ten more and she was behind a bush, looking into another section of the woods through some smaller, verdant trees. She grinned once she saw what she had been chasing for a while, an animal she had seen in those woods when she had been there with the Blade Breakers, on the evening of their assault on the Enbarr place.

The young deer was unaware of her presence, its brown, spotted coat almost black since there was very little luminosity where it stood. There was no trace of horns on its head yet and the ears were down, its face close to the ground as it sniffled something or another, completely at ease. At times it would graze on some turfs of grass here and there, but mostly it seemed to be exploring the woods just as she and Edelgard had been doing a few minutes ago.

Byleth waited, at first let her eyes roam around in search of an older deer, maybe a mother or something, then bit her lower lips when she found none. She didn’t have a lot of hunting expertise, but that would have to do for a new blanket even if it were a smaller one than what she had envisioned. Her hands closed around the hilt of the dagger and she crouched as languidly as she could, mindful to not make a noise and alert the animal to the fact that it was in danger. Once nothing changed she mentally counted to three, bending her knee even more at each count.

One, the deer had its nose almost buried on the ground, entranced as it was with something it had found there. Its neck was almost in too good of a position and if Byleth aimed it well, she might be able to strike it down with nothing more than one movement.

Two, her grip on the weapon became even stronger and the dagger bit against her skin. It was a good, reassuring pressure and she actually enjoyed it, how it seemed to ground her.

Three, she unlocked her knees and made to spring forward-

When there was a shrilly, excited yell coming from the other side of the forest, making the deer raise its head and ears in alarm. When it – and Byleth – realized there was something or someone getting closer to it, its legs bent and straightened in a split second, sending it away from Byleth’s aim before she could even react or understand what was going on.

“The deer though, where did it go?” That same shrilly voice that had screamed before reached her; a few seconds later and she saw who it belonged to.

The boy was shorter than her and he looked older than Edelgard, maybe as old as she was. His sleek hair looked blond, she couldn’t really tell since there wasn’t enough light there, and it was stuck in a ponytail. His clothes were stuffy, a contrast to his simple demeanor, his wide-eyed curiosity as one would call it. That was somewhat so sweet, Byleth couldn’t really get mad at him and just smiled, remembering when Edelgard was as surprised at the world as he seemed to be.

And he wasn’t alone either, as soon another figure came into her line of sight and she came back to a normal standing position. The girl was definitely older than her, her hair seemed like it was the same tone and was also placed back in a sloppy ponytail held by a sole ribbon. She wore a plain cream dress that went all the way down to her feet and walked a lot slower than the little boy, tripping at every two steps at roots and the likes.

“You scared it, Emile. You shouldn’t have yelled like that and – oh, I’m sorry, were you looking after that deer?”

The thief looked up and only then realized the girl was speaking to her. Her face was apologetic but also surprised, blue eyes wide as she took in Byleth’s stance and the fact that there was a dagger in her hand. The boy soon turned around and saw her as well, his glance suspicious since it was clear they weren’t expecting company at a place like that.

Well, that certainly made it three of them.

“Byleth, is everything ok?” Edelgard’s small voice called them back to attention and made the thief spin on her heels and walk back to the little girl, worried about leaving her alone. She got there fast enough to hold the princess, since she half stumbled, half fell by herself and would have hit the ground if Byleth hadn’t stepped in front of her like that.

“Eldegard?” She exclaimed, uncaring that two other kids had just followed her and were looking at the situation with concerned stares. She would deal with her charge first and those two later, no questions asked.

“I am sorry, I just… need to sit for a moment.” The princess answered, trying to get away from Byleth and finding it hard to do so. She wanted more than to just take a seat, she realized. She wanted to lie down and rest, even though she had slept throughout the last day and for a good part of the night, too.

“Oh my, is she well?” The older girl inquired once she stepped closer to them and accessed the situation.

“Mercie, they should come with us for the picnic! Maybe they’re lost and need something to eat. They’ll love your cooking anyways.” Emile suggested, tugging at the girl’s long sleeve while eyeing the other two. “What are you doing in the forest to begin with? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Could say the same to you.” Byleth grumbled, started taking a better hold of Edelgard only for her to pull away and lace her arms with the thief’s. So that was how she wanted to go, it seemed.

“We’re here on a picnic, as my little brother just said!” The girl spoke, smiling as if they were all very old friends. “And you really should come along with us, we’d love company. I’m Mercedes von Martritz and this is Emile, what’s your names?”

“Byleth and this is Eldegard.” The thief answered, nodding and following along when Mercedes started leading them away from that place and into somewhere closer to where the woods met the city streets. “You’re in a what now? A pick and nick?” Was that a fighting style she had never heard of before?

“Heehee, a picnic. That means we’re eating some delicious food and playing in the forest while mom is out doing something in the city.” Emile answered, walking beside his sister and eyeing the two kids, especially the smaller one.

“Yeah mother told us to go have some fun but the city guards were just being annoying, so we came here instead.” Mercedes went on, then turned right on an intersection and led them to a clearing.

There were indeed some signs of human occupation there, so it was safe to assume these two kids weren’t the first to use it to have some fun or just spend time. Litter was scattered close to the few trees that delineated the circular clearing, some food remains and shoes too. A checkered towel had been spread in the middle of the place and on it there was a basket, one that reminded Byleth of what they had used to go on long heists back in the day. Her chest constricted due to it and she was glad Edelgard was walking with closed eyes or something – the last thing she wanted was to make her even sadder, or to remember those days.

“Ain’t it dangerous for you to be playing around the forest?” Byleth asked, then mirrored the other two and sat down on the towel, helping Edelgard to do the same and not collapse on the ground.

“ _We_ should be the ones asking _you_ that, young lady.” Mercedes retorted but chuckled to show she wasn’t being serious. “You’re too young to be out and about like that, even more so if that little one is hurt.”

“I am neither little nor hurt, and I am here too.” The princess shot back, opening one eye to glare at the two siblings. She had laid her head on Byleth’s shoulder the second she sat down, hugging her waist as well for extra support since she was feeling drowsy, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation or her surroundings. “Also, did you say your surname is von Martritz? I do not recall father ever talking about Baron Martritz as of late and –“

“Eldegard, hush.” The thief interrupted, giving her charge a meaningful look that was understood, since her eyes widened in surprise a second later. “She’s running a fever or something, don’t mind her.”

“Well dear, you really wouldn’t since my dad died a while ago. I live with the Bartels as of late, since that’s Emile’s papa and so on.” Mercedes answered as if unfazed, though she had noticed how polished that girl’s speech was. What with her knowing Houses like that… “What is a little noble like you doing out here, and in that state no less?”

Before Edelgard could say something about her being fine, even when she visibly wasn’t, the thief stepped in and retorted instead: “Same as you, we out for a walk but she isn’t feeling too well. I’m her ret- retrainer.” Byleth stumbled over the word, pouting when all the other kids giggled at her.

“Her retainer! She is that important to have a retainer? I want one too, Mercie.” Emile whined once he was done laughing, then put his hands in the basket and grabbed a soft, golden bread.

“You should ask your father for one, dear, I’m sure he’ll comply.” Something dark and ominous passed behind her eyes, a worried, sad feeling like the heavy breeze before a storm. “Where are your manners, though? You should offer our guests some food, there’s plenty for everyone.”

Byleth held her gaze for a moment longer, before accepting another bread that was extended her way as a peace offering. She failed to cut it perfectly in half and put the biggest portion on Edelgard’s hand, who opened her eyes in alarm at it and shook her head, passing it back to the thief.

“I am not hungry, but thank you kindly for sharing your meal with us.” The princess mumbled, her voice hinting at how tired she was feeling by the minute. It was a sensation she knew well, since the same had happened just a day ago.

“You gotta eat.” The thief protested, but said nothing more as her charge proceeded to slowly lie down and place her head on Byleth’s lap. Oh well, so that was happening again, she thought, then sighed in exasperation at the sight.

There were a few minutes of silence while Byleth ate alone, one hand tangled in Edelgard’s lush brown hair which shone even under the meeker sunlight. They watched her body slowly relax as seconds passed and eventually she fell asleep, her breathing becoming shallower but faster too.

“Has this been happening a lot?” Mercedes’s voice was soft, gentle in order to not scare the “retrainer”, noticing how sad she seemed to be because of that.

“Yeah, some. I tried helping but not good enough I guess.” The thief mumbled, her mouth full of sweet bread that tasted like the best thing she had ever had. She had to smile at it, even if it was for a small moment. “This is good, you made this?”

The older girl nodded, beaming in delight at her approval, then got up and slowly approached them before kneeling again. “Can I take a look at her?”

“It’s ok, Mercie is really good with caring for people. She always heals me before the nurses can even arrive there.” Emile added, noting how Byleth seemed a bit iffy about the entire thing. He also crept closer – he loved seeing what his sister did, admiring her and all of her many skills.

In the end the thief nodded and took her hand out of Edelgard’s hair, snickering when the princess grunted due to the loss of contact. She and the little boy watched as Mercedes placed her own palm on the princess’s forehead to feel for a fever and nodded to herself as if understanding what was going on already. Well, in a sense it wasn’t anything serious, right? Unless the fever was only a symptom of something bigger that she was unaware of – her studies had been faltering as of recent, what with she and her mother being a little… left aside in the Bartels abode and almost disregarded entirely.

But that was fine, her mom had said. She would make things right and that was why they had gone to Enbarr to begin with. Mercie didn’t know all the details, even though she had insisted upon hearing them, but she understood that it was something about making sure they would remain safe during the next few days as they went back to the mansion one last time.

That ominous sentence, uttered when she and her mom were watching over little Emile as he slept on their carriage, while it made its way to Enbarr, made the small hairs in the back of her arm stand on edge. Could that mean that -

“What do you feel?”

Byleth’s voice, albeit neither loud nor intrusive, grounded her on reality and made her realize she had been blankly staring at (what had she called her?) Eldegard for a while then, without doing anything of value. Shaking her head in order to clear it, Mercedes focused again and felt her pulse, strong but a bit too fast for someone who was asleep.

“Well she is a bit feverish and should rest some, if you ask me. You said this has been going on for a while, so don’t let her overexert herself and give her some teas that are good for the flu. Ginger works very well and I think it would help her get rid of the fever too, if her temperature rises a bit more.” Mercedes spoke at last, trying her best to remember everything she had read about the subject in those years.

The thief nodded, making sure she could recall the tea and wondering where she could get some ginger, or what it looked like since she didn’t think she had ever seen that before. The Blade Breakers weren’t really a fan of tea, preferring much stronger spirits and the occasional water as their drinks of sorts, and Manuela had a knack for lavender and mint instead.

“I can try and do something as it is, like lowering her temperature already, but it won’t work on the long run.” Mercie added, looking dubiously at the sleeping kid. She wanted to help, just didn’t know exactly how to.

“Teach me. I seen it done before, but no one teached me yet.” Byleth frowned, scared about making the same mistake she had done before with the Faith magic she had zero expertise with. If someone, anyone, just told her what to do, she had a feeling she could pull it off, help her charge and leave people alone.

Hence she was delighted when Mercedes complied and even let her brother join in on the lesson for the hundredth time (he tried, it wasn’t just his thing. Though his Reason instructor was keen on praising his black magic to high heavens). They gently placed Edelgard over the checkered towel and extended their hands over her, palm facing down. Following Mercie’s instructions, they imagined the princess well and healthy, jumping and running around, beaming and just being the kid she was supposed to be. They envisioned it, willing for it to become true, pushing energy out of their bodies and into their palms while at the same time asking for the earth and the Goddess to provide them with enough magic in order to help, but not drain them.

Once or twice Byleth and Emile opened one eye to peek at what was happening and were elated at seeing blueish-white lights leaving their hands and pouring into Edelgard, whereas the same energy seemed to be coursing through their bodies coming from the ground underneath their feet.

It didn’t take more than five minutes, but by the time Mercedes told them to stop there was a smile on their faces as well as on the sleeping princess’s and she looked a lot more at ease than before. Byleth noticed then that she wasn’t feeling tired, weary or sluggish as it had happened the first time and upon telling that to the older girl, she received a chuckle and a nice recommendation:

“Well silly, you transferred your own energy to her before, instead of channeling the magic of the earth itself. That’s why you felt tired. Just remember that next time and you’ll be fine. There’s magic everywhere and you can rely on it for helping you, you know. The Goddess is in everything after all.”

While positioning Edelgard’s head back on her lap, Byleth nodded and pondered over that saying. The Goddess being on everything was a bit weird to say the least – did that mean there was a deity of sorts inside her? She was probably a troublesome one for whatever gods that could be either watching over her or being part of her, then. She giggled at that, went back to combing Edelgard’s hair and had some more food with the siblings, watching their dynamics and somewhat glad that the princess wasn’t up to see that. Who knew how bad that would remind her of her own brothers and sisters after all.

Time passed slowly, but in any case the sun did make its way across the sky and afternoon came. At some point Edelgard woke up and reported feeling better, which was a delight to everyone else. The four talked, ate and slept some, taking turns to do so just to keep watch. Eventually, when twilight was about to fall and both Mercedes and Emile were asleep, Byleth heard a female voice calling and the ruffle of leaves nearby. It didn’t take a genius to realize that was probably the kids’ mother and the last thing she wanted was to stay around and be discovered by them.

She called the princess’s attention by shaking her shoulder and motioned for her to get up and go. Edelgard arched an eyebrow, her gaze falling on the two sleeping kids who had helped them so much, but Byleth just shook her head and got up, holding her hand and urging her to do the same.

There was no time to discuss the matter anyways, since those noises were coming closer and soon the woman would be upon them. Sighing in defeat, El followed the older kid back into the depths of the forest and towards what would pretty much soon become their tree. She glanced back at Emile and Mercie once, silently thanking them for the help and food, then wished whatever sadness she had seen in Mercedes’s eyes to be solved and turned into something good and light. She deserved it after all, what with the kindness she had shown two strangers in that day.

It was impossible for Edelgard to not recall the other two people they had recently left behind as they made their way back through the vegetation, side stepping shrubs, rocks and plants that could be hiding smaller animals within. As it gradually became darker and their eyes adjusted to the setting, she felt tears rise to her eyes at the thought of Dorothea and Manuela, wondering how their day had been and how they were faring as of then.

And whereas Byleth felt more at ease once she saw that Edelgard was doing better and even had an appetite, it was undeniable that she, too, was worried about Dorothea. She couldn’t tell if the feeling was echoed in El’s thoughts and the small grimace upon her face, or if it was feeding on it, on that confirmation that their minds were back to the other kid they had been with for so long. In any case, it was almost as if they could sense that, some kilometers away from there, another little girl mopped the tears she had shed throughout the day and night before, then this one, finally deciding to pour them into her voice and make the audience cry with her instead.

The show would be known years after that day as “the night the Mittelfrank wept”, marking one of Dorothea Arnault’s greatest and most emotional performances of all times – even though the songstress would more than likely forget about it and the nights spent crying herself to sleep in Manuela’s embrace, while both mourned the disappearance of those two other girls that had been in their lives for a while. They would also briefly wonder if their disappearance had anything to do with the guards that had shown up in Enbarr all of a sudden, but they knew better than to ask them even though Manuela would want to.

In any case, the separation was tough on all of them. Even though for the first days the two songstresses were able to turn that pain into art and awe hundreds with their talents, that still wasn’t enough. Dorothea would cry when she got home and didn’t see Byleth and Edelgard there, as a part of her went on hoping they would simply return one night with snacks and huge smiles on their faces.

She had never been told about what happened to Edelgard, only that she wasn’t looking well and there was a chance Byleth took her to a hospital or something. Hence there was still some expectation that one day they would be back, happy, healthy, beaming at her and more than ready to engulf her in a hug, then run away once she started using Thunder on them for abandoning her without a word.

That day, of course, never would come. Manuela knew that but also knew better than to say anything, to admit her guilt in the entire matter. To say her words, her wondering if it weren’t better for Edelgard to return to the palace, had scared them away. She should have thought more before saying anything. She should have put things into their perspective instead of listening to Cassandra and Ariel, who were indeed great healers but not the kindest people at the Mittelfrank.

Be what it may, she had allowed two people who didn’t know about the three kids’ entire story to dictate their future – and had paid the price for that, dearly so. The reminder was there every day, whenever Dorothea cried and asked her why they weren’t back, why they had run away, what had she done wrong or to scare them.

_It wasn’t you, Little Bird. But it was more than definitely me_ , her mind would yell, but she remained quiet for her sake and Dorothea’s. She wasn’t a mother, but she would never forgive herself if she lost Thea the way she did the other two, due to that stupid mistake.

A mistake that hadn’t been hers to commit and surely enough no one but herself blamed her for it. But one that had brought changes with dire consequences to both Byleth and Edelgard as they slumbered on the forest, under the watchful eye of a crow with red irises and dark obsidian feathers that glinted ominously under the moonlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the guards are back after all! Took them long enough, right? But anyways, things are going to get hectic for the next few chapters and we'll get more on Dorothea's and Manuela's side of the story later on. Also, just a heads up! Characters that show in this first part have a *gooood* probability of appearing later on too.
> 
> In any case I coudn't help including Mercie and Emile, even though in canon Mercedes left house Bartels at around age 10. So slight variation there, but I wanted to nod to that portion of her life story too. 
> 
> Wonder if those animals lying around and peering at them are relevant though, right?  
> Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your week!


	19. A plea for the ones who were left behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Edelgard adjust to their life in the woods, with Byleth fretting whenever she has to leave the sick princess alone for some time. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Imperial soldiers pay the Mittelfrank a little visit - and they do have a few questions of their own.

Time seemed to be tougher to track when it was spent in a forest such as the one around Enbarr. It wasn’t as if Edelgard and Byleth were lacking sunlight – that was abundant enough even though mostly they remained between rich foliage that kept the luminosity away from them. Nor was it that their days and nights weren’t well-defined, marked by nature’s own cycle, each day coming forth and being brought to an end with the movement and the sounds of the woods around them.

And even then, even with those signs of time ebbing and flowing away just as life did, they still had the same feeling of being adrift, apart from everything and encased in a reality that was entirely theirs.

Sure, being away from most people had that effect and in the end, so did the lack of a routine to structure and dictate their days too. After leaving Manuela’s house they realized how much of their time outside of the Mittelfrank had been aimed to prepare them to going there or resting for a day spent on it, too. Aside from the few hours in the morning when the two were allowed to practice fighting skills, pretty much every other moment was dedicated to the Opera House.

The thought had been liberating at first, even more so since they weren’t performers and were supposedly only helping out here and there. At first it made them wonder if either Dorothea or Manuela got more tired than both of them, as they spent their entire days training. That was a question that remained quiet, mostly in their minds and not in their mouths since, no matter how many hours and days passed, the issue remained a sore matter between them.

The memories of leaving behind two people who had seen them through so much, a bitter one that no joke, no sweet fruit or wonderful sight in that forest could ever erase.

Maybe they would end up discussing that at some point, once they finished easing up into that strange existence they had gotten themselves into, if it wasn’t for the fact that a certain someone kept getting worse and worse as the days went by. Meaning there had never been a chance for them to relax at all.

In that particular morning, Byleth stirred before the sun was up, just as it had become a habit for her. She tightened her embrace around a sleeping, shivering Edelgard who was completely huddled against her body, her breathing fast and irregular in a sense. The older kid’s face fell at that, her chest constricting once she gingerly placed the back of her hand on her charge’s forehead and felt the fever that seemed to have recently taken residence in her body.

There wasn’t a day in which that didn’t happen, though sometimes Edelgard would be more awake, more disposed to do things and take light walks around the woods gathering berries and water while Byleth did some fishing and got to hunt some animals if there were any meandering close. Her disease, whatever it was, was completely unpredictable and it was impossible for her to know what that day would bring forth. Though some of the signs, like how warm and languid she was, could already be used as telltale ones.

Yeah, Byleth thought as she failed to shake Edelgard awake and only managed to make her get closer to the older kid, that one was probably not going to be a good day for the little princess. She sighed, settling the black woolen blanket she had stolen more tightly around the smaller girl and adjusted her position so the tree behind them would take more of their weight.

She wished she could stay there forever, hugging her friend, then closing her eyes and pretending nothing else was happening. That they weren’t runaways and the city that was just some steps to their right hadn’t both shunned and become a danger to them, even more so to Edelgard, the moment those guards were back. That she wasn’t hiding in the middle of nowhere with another kid, one that she had technically saved and didn’t know how to help in that moment in time.

Nevertheless, there was no time for despair. That was what the thief had seen so many grownups do to no avail and had vowed to never follow that helpless example. Taking a deep, cleansing breath laden with the green and blue scent of the forest, Byleth rolled to her knees and deposited Edelgard on the floor so that she could finally get to her feet. She hated having to do that on some days and the thought of getting back to her charge would always be a weight pressing on her mind, but she had to or else they would run out of resources. And if there were a few things she would rather die for than have them go through, those things were hunger, thirst and cold.

After a last, stinging glance towards the small girl, all huddled on herself and searching for a better position since her source of warmth was now gone, Byleth leaned down and whispered in her ear: “Sleep and rest, El. Be back soon, promise.”

In her mind, an ominous and torturing thought wondered if one day those words wouldn’t become a lie. If she wouldn’t just go and never return for some reason or another. It wouldn’t be the first time she failed Edelgard, but still. She would not do that, no matter what it took. She would always come back to her.

The woods had become as familiar to Byleth as Manuela’s place had been after a week spent there. She had memorized how a few trees were brittle, others had probably been hit by lightning and mostly destroyed. A few had black spots on their trunks, too. Or the path which felt like the most natural one to follow would unexpectedly turn at a certain point, where a rock was bigger than the rest and made for a decent bench, standing beside a tree covered in winding, little plants she couldn’t name.

That was the way she usually took to reach the edge of the city and as such, her least favorite one. At first she had avoided stepping foot on Enbarr altogether, deciding that the forest would have to offer them everything they needed for a simple life that could afford to be the slightest bit comfortable nonetheless. That belief had lasted until she failed to make a blanket out of animal fur and watched Edelgard shiver so much, she had thought the girl would die right there and then due to her own stupidity.

Which was why, in the moment she noticed the princess had fallen asleep again, she quickly (and guiltily) dashed out of there and through the forest, past the river, past the stunted tree and the burned one… and into a part of the capital that Edelgard had dreaded, the first day they had walked in it.

In all honesty, Byleth thought it was only fitting that she would have to set foot in there again. The poorest, nastiest and most dangerous part of the city, all things considered, where humans were no different than actual discarded objects and, what actually mattered to her and made her return there again and again, no guards could be seen at all. It was as if even the Imperial authorities had forgotten that place existed, or at least pretended it wasn’t there.

Sure, so it did make the thief feel a bit bad when she saw how little the ones who resided there already had when she raided homes and stole what she needed, keeping in mind to take only what was really necessary and she couldn’t make herself. Was there any other way, though? As her feet soundlessly hit the broken, uneven rocky paths between houses that were falling apart in that morning, when the sun wasn’t even up yet and the buildings looked like distorted skeletons against the sky, her face twisted in a grimace and she had to actually drag herself to do what she had to.

It didn’t mean she wouldn’t rather help those people, though. She pushed open the remains of a door to a house on her left, a tall one that seemed on the brink of crumbling from the wind alone, and let her trained eyes roam through the scant, dirty interior. She didn’t miss how three adults and a child were lying down on the floor in what she supposed was a wide living room, enveloped in a luxurious rug that had more than likely been robbed too. Her gaze rested for a second on the broken windows to her left and how those could be an escape route if she needed one, then silently made her way around their sleeping forms, into what one could call a kitchen.

The grey walls were cracked and dirty, with red and black spots everywhere. To the right side of the door there was a small oven, though maybe calling it an oven would be too much for how small and rudimentary it was. Carved in black stone and spotting several burns, cuts and dents, Byleth even wondered if that was functional – or how the people in that house got fire to use it. To the left was a cupboard, or what remained of it since the doors were beaten and whatever glass that had been there cracked some time ago.

Nevertheless, that was what the thief had been looking for, food supplies and, more importantly, herbs. Whatever herbs a family had at hands would more than likely make its way into her pockets, regardless of what it was used for or if it would even benefit the princess who waited for her in the forest. Hence she opened that pantry and rummaged through its scarce contents, the sacks of sugar and salt, the slices of hard bread and a half-eaten pie.

It took only a few seconds before she found it, a bundle of green herbs tied together with a ribbon like a fancy flower bouquet. Since the house was dark and the last thing she wanted was to risk causing a fire by using magic in order to see, Byleth took hold of it and brought it to her nose, only to sniff it and widen her eyes in recognition. Mint. She had heard from Manuela once that those were a bit good for flus, right?

Well, good or not, it was tucked into her pockets while she rose to her feet and closed the cupboard as if nothing had happened. The other food items remained untouched and so did the few knives they had, shining silver over the kitchen counter. She didn’t need any more weapons, the small sword she had gotten and some pointy weapons done with what nature had to offer enough to keep them safe. Now her priority was healing the little girl by her side – without causing too much loss to the already poor population which had been rejected and pushed to the outskirts of Enbarr.

She made her way back to the living room, which was pretty much the only room in the entire house outside of the kitchen. Her blue eyes wandered over the slumbering residents one more time, wondering if any of them were sick or in need of the herbs that she had just gotten. Not that it mattered, she wouldn’t back down and return them for anything in the world.

A part of her did want to help them, though. Just as she and the other two girls had aided that brother and sister before, so many months ago, by sharing sherbet with them.

Maybe one day she would be more than just a petty thief, Byleth mused as she made her way outside and noticed how the sky would soon become clear again. How another day would start and people would go about their lives, some grateful that the city had become safer again, others weary of the guards which now paraded through the plazas and streets with their hawk-like gazes, as if trying to find a spy among normal people.

Or as if trying to find a certain Imperial princess that had gone missing too many months ago, if they believed her alive that was. Well, no matter. They wouldn’t find her, and if they even thought about venturing into the woods then Byleth would be more than ready for them. The one thing she wanted to do before anything else, however, was making sure the fever was down and her charge was safe and healthy again.

Sighing once she had gotten to the part where the city and forest met again, she turned her head to give the entire setting one last look, watching the sun rise from the horizon for yet another day and color the sky with pinks, oranges and yellows of hope and comfort.

A hope and comfort that, more often than not, did not reach the two children hiding in the woods.

Her steps, which had been silent and calculated before in order to not wake up the others or call attention to herself, became loud and more careless once she was again surrounded by the protective vegetation of those trees. It wasn’t that she was being careless, but the moment she was back to what had become her home, she grew more apprehensive of the fact that she had indeed left a sick child behind, unprotected. Yes, she had needed to go and she was usually very fast in her heists, but even so.

Ground gave away under her feet and branches scratched her face as she rushed through them, uncaring. Her muscles burned with the effort of keeping a pace that was unnaturally quick even for her, then settled once her thoughts made her move as fast as she could. She had to make sure it hadn’t been a mistake to leave the princess by herself. It didn’t matter that she had done the same thing every two or three days for the last week, but in any case it was the returning that always left her scared.

Nothing would hurt more than going back to their tree and finding it empty, just a blanket and their pack left behind.

Thus she sighed in relief as always when she turned left on a big bush that was always her reference point and got to the small speck of the woods the two children had claimed for themselves, only to find it unchanged in the few minutes she had been gone. A thin smile spread on Byleth’s face when she sat down and put the new herbs with the other ones she had already gathered, forming a pile beside their pack.

Although her arms wanted to curl around the princess and bring her closer while they sat down and rested together, the thief knew she had a few more things to do in the forest before both could start their days. That was why she felt under the pack with her hands until she found rustic, weirdly-shaped cups she had made from wood on their first day there and a bigger one she had been using as a container.

Picking up those bowl on one hand, she ran to the river which flowed nearby, somewhere on her left, and filled them to the brim with fresh water after making sure there was no animal (or worse, people) watching. She wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible, even if she knew they couldn’t be safer anywhere else than in the woods, but even so.

She had grown up with a bunch of thieves and knew very well what humans were capable of, where they could hide and how some of them loved blending with the elements before striking. Her ability to think like the enemy, only possible since she had been the enemy before, was more than just important in that place.

If only she could use that same thinking and have access to some of the Blade Breakers’ knowledge about healing, too.

A sigh escaped her lips as she made her way back to the tree and sat down, picked up an assortment of herbs dried and new and crushed them on her hands alone, then placed the resulting mess of leaves on one of the cups and waited. She knew that was not how tea was made, that she needed to boil the water and so on, but if she ever used a fire spell right there she’d end up burning the cup and nothing more. Hence she had resorted to making infusions such as those as soon as the day began, hoping that she had finally taken the right herbs, done the correct mixture or waited for the right time before asking Edelgard to drink it.

Byleth wished she could do more, but there wasn’t anything more she knew how to do to aid her. Not until Edelgard was up and she could better access how she was feeling in that day. It was with defeat that she finally pulled the princess closer and lay down beside her, carefully wrapping her arms around the little kid between the blankets.

The sounds of the forest coming alive reached her, making her close her eyes, inviting her to relax and just hold close the one she had grown so attached to. Birds were singing their myriad melodies, complemented by the wind which ruffled emerald leaves which would soon be touched and graced by the sun. Some small animals paced around the grass, their paws carving their place on the earth just as feathers overhead carved their own in the sky.

Everything seemed to answer to a pulse, to a certain rhythm she was unable to hear, but acutely aware of. And in that case, life wasn’t at all that different from an orchestra, with a harmony of its own.

She exhaled once her thoughts turned to Dorothea, as they always did whenever music was involved. A day ago Edelgard had asked about her, pondering if the guards had gone back to the palace and they couldn’t end that strike, return to the house and stay there. Maybe Manuela had learned her lesson and would never again threaten to call on their families, she had suggested.

Byleth had grimaced and shaken her head, but tried not to antagonize the sick child more than she should. It was clear in her mind that such a thing would never be possible. She had seen how determined Manuela had been to do so and that no protesting would change it. Worse still, the moment the woman was able to see how sick El was, well… it wouldn’t surprise the thief if she took hold of Edelgard and started yelling for the guards to take her home, where in theory she would be better cared for.

In theory only, of course, because…

“You look pensive.”

That small, raucous voice shook Byleth awake from a reverie that had no reason to be, that left her raw and scared and vulnerable when she had to be strong and push forward to the both of them. She looked down into two languid pools of lilac, a pale face around them, and tried her best to dispel her earlier frame of mind in favor of a more cheerful one.

If she couldn’t heal the princess by herself, the least she could do was offer her a smile and support.

“Morning and yeah, I was doing the thinking-about-nothing thing.” Byleth said with a lopsided smile, though she dropped it the next second when she realized Edelgard was far from buying it. Far from believing that little display.

“No, you were not.” The smaller girl replied, sighing and putting some space between them with slow and deliberate movements, each one causing her to wince. “What has been on your mind, Byleth? This is not the first time I have seen you like that.”

A part of her wanted to say it, to allude to the pain in her chest that was more than likely reflected in the princess’s entire body, in her own heart and eyes. Logic was keen to deny her that, to say that it wouldn’t do either of them any good to talk about what they couldn’t solve.

“Doesn’t matter.” She said at last, shrugging and placing a hand on Edelgard’s shoulder to draw her near again once she shivered. “Can’t do anything about it anyways.”

Everything about her tone, her demeanor and her words told El what she needed to know. Her eyes fell and she yawned, her body languid and heavy even though she had just woken up. It would be one of those days, she knew, and it was more than likely that she was running a fever already. In the end she just nodded and nuzzled the thief’s neck, glad for that moment of closeness.

“I miss them too.” She whispered at last, her voice almost lost as a particularly strong breeze blew over them, making branches and leaves snap in protest or agreement at that statement. “Yet I am glad you are here, despite everything that has happened. I shall never forget it, By.”

“Hush, Eldegard. I won’t go anywhere.” Byleth shook her head, let her hands caress the small of her back once the princess trembled once more, no matter that she was rolled in a very warm blanket. “How you feeling?”

“A little better, actually, thank you.” It was a lie and they both knew it, given how often it had been told without any actual improvement to her condition. It was her own way to protect and care for Byleth, while the truth was plain to see.

Regardless, the thief would humor her and nod, as always. It was a game they had been playing for days, the make-believe sometimes soothing them through quite uneventful days after so many months focused on heists and then working at the opera house. There, in the quiet limbo of the woods, there wasn’t much to steal or do, no organizing or helping someone out.

Hence there were times when they would stay like that until Edelgard fell asleep again, or Byleth would look around for something new while carrying the princess on her back or arms as before. At other occasions the smaller kid would be strong enough to walk and would try it, only to stumble and almost fall later on.

That had become less and less frequent as the days – and her condition – progressed. But it was a fact both chose to ignore and pretend it wasn’t happening, just as they pretended sometimes to be knights braving through a forest which had never been mapped or walked in before.

Byleth was about to suggest they should try that and play a little, in order to dilute the bad mood that some memories would unequivocally bring. The moment she opened her mouth, however, Edelgard moved against her chest again and mumbled:

“There were people close.”

“Hm? Don’t hear anything.” The thief retorted, frowning at that. It was the first time she had heard such a report or even considered that they might not be the only ones in the woods.

“Not now.” The was a longer pause as she edged away and turned her face in order to cough, even if it was weak and almost didn’t help at all. “Before, when you were gone. Were you out to steal again?”

There was no way not to laugh at the small, reproachful tone at that last question. But the older girl ignored that and asked something of her own: “What do you mean someone was close?”

“I heard… steps in the grass and some soft conversation.” A louder exhale was followed by a longer inhale, making Byleth hold her tighter. “It was over really quick and I suppose they never got close enough to actually see me, but there were people around for sure.”

“Good.” Byleth replied, weaving her fingers through brown hair that was full of little leaves and other foliage from lying on the floor. They had washed it by the river the other day, but apparently that wouldn’t be enough to take everything out. “You sure it wasn’t just a dream?”

There was nothing that she wanted more than to find out it had been so. The opposite would mean they had avoided a disaster by a small string of luck. The thief mulled it over and yet again decided she would try to change her strategy about it, but even so.

“N-no, it wasn’t a dream. I heard them loud and clear; also, I woke up the moment you were gone. You were not so subtle yourself.” Edelgard rebuked, deftly leaving out the part where she had been roused from sleep by strong shivers and a sensation of cold which pervaded her entire body.

Luckily it had been over the moment Byleth returned, as the last thing she wanted was for the thief to see that – never mind that she already had, and too often for Edelgard’s taste.

“Imma work on it, then.” The thief tried bringing their conversation to a lighter tone again, even though no matter how much they tried something would always make them stop and just hold one another as close as possible. “You feeling ok to stay by yourself?”

Since Edelgard agreed and let her go the next second, Byleth got to her feet and stretched, glancing around herself in order to check if she could find any marks of humans being there as the princess had claimed. Seeing none, she shrugged and got a branch she had polished into a lance of sorts – or just something with a very pointy end – and started doing some warmups.

She had tried keeping a training routine even when they were there, figuring her abilities with weapons would be even more necessary in a setting such as that. One where there was so much uncertainty and too many possibilities, each and every day an open end when before those had been contained into alleys and houses.

The makeshift lance was brandished from side to side, then used as a stick of sorts in order to stab an imaginary enemy. That went on for quite a while, with Byleth trying to remember all the combinations her father had taught her and making up her own as well. Side to side slash, stab. Down and up, then side and upper slash, ending with a high and a low stab.

Moving felt good. It was like doing something about that predicament even though nothing concrete was being done at all. Halfway through it she turned around, panting, and beamed when she saw that Edelgard had crawled into a sitting position, leaning against the tree – their tree – and was watching the entire thing with a soft, diluted smile on her face.

For one second they held glances, gentle and encouraging, surprised even. And just for that second they were back in the chilly, grey alley of Enbarr, the one they had shared with Dorothea and Cerys. They laughed, they chuckled and they reminisced, for the first time in a way that wasn’t done with longing and wonder about what was going on in that side of the city, in a corner of the world which was often filled with music and acting and feelings.

They were able to giggle at it, even more so when Byleth continued and made some moves of her own that were beyond silly at that point. She rolled down on the floor with the lance to her chest, then jumped to a standing position and stabbed an enemy that was taller than her, right in the eyes – or so it was in her mind’s eye. She used the lance as a crutch and swung her body, kicking air and smiling when Edelgard chuckled at it, at her display of being a grand knight in that desolate place.

Only there was a limit to how much longer she could go and after about an hour of that she threw the lance to the side and fell on the floor, sitting down beside her charge and catching her breath. It was the first time she had had so much fun with training during the last week or so, even more if one counted the many days in which Edelgard had started feeling sick and she had gotten worried, but still.

“You doing good?” The thief asked before the other girl could say something else, as it looked like she would.

“Mhm, it was oddly motivating to see you practice.” She missed her axe, some parts of their routine and the comforts of Manuela’s home, not to mention Manuela and Dorothea, but she said nothing about that and went on: “You should get something to eat, though.”

“Oh yeah, your cold tea is ready.” Byleth remembered, turning to the cup she had left with an assortment of herbs and giving it to the smaller girl while taking some tough bread from the pack. She comically winced once she bit into it and she had to apply some extra strength in order to chew that.

Yeah, they would have to get some more food and soon. The thief had already decided to do so two days from there, but apparently it would need to be before it. Or maybe she could take Edelgard to the lake and fish for a while, too, she mused as she watched the smaller girl take tiny sips and make a face every time she did so.

“Tastes bad?”

“N-no. that is actually very pleasant. But my throat hurts too much whenever I eat or drink anything. Or speak.” Edelgard added, closing her eyes in pain again. “But the concoction is good, have you gotten a new herb?”

“Yeah, found it around here.” She lied, as the princess didn’t really know that it was the one thing Byleth had been going around to get in all those days. “You up for some walking?”

It was uplifting to see Edelgard smile and try her best to stand up by herself after she was done drinking that strange potion. Byleth ended up helping and supporting her weight even while getting up, but that was something new and cherished all things considered. A sign that maybe they weren’t so far away from a cure if only they kept doing what they were so far.

If only nothing from the outside intervened and doomed them to something else entirely, too.

Maybe it was the fact that autumn was really upon them, or her own perception of things. Yet Manuela had been finding the days a lot bleaker, although blissfully shorter than before. It was as if her time in the Mittelfrank had become greyer, uninteresting and empty, though she was still leading practices with Dorothea in the mornings, then enjoying the public’s love and adoration once evening fell. The emptiness would get bigger once both she and the younger singer stepped foot into home, their home.

Their now very silent, usually cold and forlorn home.

There would be no running away and hiding from the pain once no one else was looking. Once they felt free to be themselves, that ache inside their chests would rise and fall, ebb and flow in tides, in cycles that at first had left them both in tears and despair before subsiding to something small and allowing them the blissful release of sleep. Only to start everything again the next day, with the next morning and afternoon/early evening spent hidden behind masks.

Last night had been no different, Manuela recalled once she stirred at the darkened morning, something that had also changed from the cheerful, sunlit ones she and Dorothea had shared with the two who had gone away. Maybe last night had been made worse by the fact that Stephen called it one of their best performances to that day. Which was ironic considering that, well, yesterday had counted exactly one week since Edelgard and Byleth were missing.

It had been tougher to deal with the loneliness, with the lack of voices and movement in a house that echoed everything, that seemed keen to remind them of what had once been. Funny enough, the moment Manuela rolled out of bed and found her lucky bracelet in the exact same place she had left it the night before, she felt tears stinging her eyes and a clog forming at her throat.

She had been doing her best not to cry in front of Dorothea, as the young songstress had felt it the most and didn’t need anyone else’s added sadness on top of her own feelings. That meant she had waited until after Thea slept in her arms in order to edge away, go to her own bedroom and weep in silence, letting go of the guilt that flooded her heart and the worry which clouded her mind each and every part of the day.

The sight of the Imperial guards returning to Enbarr only served to add to her concern. A part of her was sure there wouldn’t be so many of them there if Edelgard had been found again, but even so. Unless of course they were dealing with an entirely different matter, which was what she had told Dorothea once the girl inquired if their continued presence in there was an omen.

Her steps through the hallway were sluggish and her head hurt, courtesy of the wine bottle she had emptied after her one remaining charge had been put to sleep. It had been harder and harder to go back to studying after that fateful day and drowning her sorrows in alcohol was a copying mechanism which had returned full force. She kept chastising herself for it, knowing she would never be able to leave the Mittelfrank if she didn’t go on learning about the Healing Arts, but even so.

It was bad enough that her cluelessness had condemned Cerys to death; to have it be the cause why Edelgard’s symptoms weren’t recognized earlier and all of that situation to unfurl was another thing altogether, a nail in the coffin in a sense. She knew her explanation about only taking a few days off and indulging herself in order to deal with the stress of that separation was just that, mere words meant to fool her mind into accepting something she shouldn’t be doing to begin with.

She would get herself together later, she thought as she opened the door to Dorothea’s room and sighed, finding the bed empty. Of course. It shouldn’t even surprise her at that point since it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Nor, she supposed, would it be the last.

The girl had taken to getting out of her own quarters at night and falling asleep on either Byleth’s and Edelgard’s beds, probably trying to conjure their presence and their warmth to soothe her in that moment. Part of her was still hopeful they would return, with “her Edie” completely healed and bearing gifts to apologize to both her and Manuela. The woman wasn’t that sure it would be the case, but knew better than to shatter her dreams like that.

A quick trip down the corridor and opening a few doors revealed that indeed Dorothea was at what had once been Byleth’s room. The diva sighed, watching how the child clutched the pillow to her torso, eyebrows knit together in a furrow, a sign of tension even while slumbering.

Her steps were quiet as she approached the undone, messy mattress and sat down on it, just as she had done so many months ago when Dorothea had been too saddened with her mother’s death, almost unable to sing due to it. How things – and the girl in front of her – had changed.

“Thea, honey, it’s time to wake up.” Manuela whispered, delicately shaking her small shoulders and chuckling when that was received with a groan.

Two sets of angry emerald eyes met hers, already narrowed into slits with the full strength of that girl’s fury. The emotion that had started as sobs and tears sliding down her cheeks had gradually turned into anger, volatile and destructive – even more self-destructive than anything else.

“I’m wake. Morning, Manuela.” The kid said, her usually melodic and sweet voice devoid of any feeling, anything other than moodiness. She shrugged away from her hand and rolled out of bed without preambles, as if she would rather be anywhere else but there.

Again, the reaction had occurred so many times it shouldn’t even surprise or bother Manuela like that, but at the same time it did. It was funny how she could understand that, could see herself doing something similar in the present situation if she weren’t already trying so hard to mask her sadness, to replace it with kindness for the other one who was also hurting.

“Did you sleep well?” The grownup inquired nevertheless, watching as she made her way outside without waiting for her – or indulging in their old habit of Manuela combing and grooming Dorothea’s hair, something they used to do before.

“Same as always. You just interrupted a good dream, is all.” The girl answered, shrugging in a familiar way, just like a certain thief used to do.

“I’m sorry for that, truly. Would you like to talk about it?” She knew there was almost no hope for her to answer that; it had been tough for Dorothea to say anything about her feelings once that rage had taken her over and crystalized, a shield to protect her from everything else.

They descended the stairs in silence and the child simply shook her head, kept staring straight ahead. Breakfast was an equally silent matter and by the time they were done getting ready, each by their own efforts, there was already a pale sun painting the sky with blues and whites, but not offering enough warmth for the morning.

It was just another day, Manuela told herself. It was something she had started doing whenever she held Dorothea’s hand on hers and strolled the short distance to the Mittelfrank, trying her best to ignore both the diminutive woman in Imperial uniform that was now stationed at the edge of her street and the lack of another small hand on hers.

It was just another day, she kept repeating to herself once she and Thea went to the side theater for extra classes and she sometimes saw the girl’s mask slipping, once they practiced some songs that she knew either Edelgard or Byleth had enjoyed. Or her irritation, when Manuela nitpicked them and told her to focus on technique and not only the feelings she was so blatantly, yet unconsciously convening.

However, it wasn’t just another day when Stephen interrupted that study session, his small face marred by a frown that was very uncharacteristic of him. He hadn’t bothered to knock or announce his presence in any other way than just showing up and running to the stage as if his life depended on it, the brusque interruption unlikely given how much respect he held for the diva and her student.

“Is everything ok?” Manuela inquired, her eyes widening at how pale and surprised he seemed to be. That was not the brave director who had helped her through so much when she was younger, but a man that had seen something he would rather not.

“I need you and the entire cast and crew on the main stage right now, young Dorothea included.” He started, mopping sweat off his forehead with a navy blue sleeve. “There are some people here asking to do an inspection of the opera house.”

“An inspection? Why this and why so sudden?” The woman queried while gathering all the music sheet they had been using as languidly as she could, buying them time so anything that needed to be discussed right there could come to light. “I don’t remember anyone talking about that beforehand.”

The man sighed, nodding in acknowledgement and agreement at what she was doing. “It wasn’t scheduled, dear. Though I have no idea what these- these damn guards are doing in my Mittelfrank.”

The sensation that both Dorothea and Manuela had was as if ice had been poured into their bloodstreams, running through their bodies and coiling at their chests. Their hearts skipped a beat or two before accelerating in response to those mere words, even though the only sign Stephen saw that there was something going on was how their eyes widened before coming back to normal a second later.

In the language of skilled performers and actresses such as them, that spoke wonders and louder than the silence that followed.

“Guards, you said?” Dorothea was the one to break that quietness as soon as she was taken by the hand and gently coaxed out of the stage, up the stairs that led to the entrance. “Imperial guards?”

“Yes, them. They have finally returned to the city, I suppose, but what would they want in my opera house? It’s not as if we’ve done anything other than, you know, host shows.” Stephen scoffed, though he eyed the two wearily and took in their stances. How coiled and concerned they looked, more than they should all things considered.

He wanted to prod, but knew Manuela well enough to understand she wouldn’t say a thing, not right then. Hence he changed tactics and squeezed her hand briefly to let her know she wasn’t alone, a gesture that was always done between them once things were going bad, then sighed in relief once she gave him a thin smile in return.

The moment they opened the doors to the main theater and were greeted by an assortment of performers, crew members and the sight of too many Imperial guards plus a man dressed in black from head to toe, both the diva and the young songstress were impassive. Their faces were mildly interested instead of shocked and scared, as they were actually feeling in that moment, their steps precise and unworried, unhurried, while the three made their way to the stage in order to join the other very confused Mittelfrank people as well.

“I assume that is all, Mr. Aureus?” The man in black demanded, his expression cold and calculated, measuring every single one of them while talking to the director. There was something about him that Dorothea found familiar, though mostly her mind hissed at his mere presence.

“Indeed, ehrm… Sir-“

“Marquis von Vestra will suffice, thank you.” He dismissed all pleasantries with a wave of his hand, as if it were nothing – or as if he didn’t care in which way he was addressed, his position way more important than that at the moment. He turned to the stage and beamed, more scaring than reassuring the ones who watched him. “Fear you not, people of the esteemed Mittelfrank. I am a long-time fan of the opera and wish no harm upon you. My subordinates are only here to do a required reconnoitering work.”

Some people tittered beside Dorothea and she felt herself frowning at the word, at him and that scenario as a whole. Her intuition screamed at her to be silent, to not speak unless spoken to and, most of all, to play a role. To become someone else in order to not give away too much.

Maybe it was a good thing she had decided to do just that while the man took a deep breath, for his next words would have given her away if she hadn’t mentally prepared for something ominous indeed.

“I am afraid you have not heard the news, as the Enbarr palace was undergoing some administrative changes at the time it occurred. However, one of the Imperial princesses was kidnapped by some ruthless thieves and we are in charge of looking for her. And so we have done for the last few days, asking around the kind people for any clue which would lead to our beloved Edelgard von Hresvelg, as we have not lost hope of her survival.

“We are searching every establishment and building for her, as her father and siblings are quite ill with worry.” There was a grin on his face which wanted to allude to the contrary, or some internal joke no one else seemed to understand. “Thus I am sure you will not object to a simple search, am I correct?”

He had turned to address Stephen upon saying this; had the director not been an actor in his younger days, maybe his demeanor would have given away that something off had happened in regards to the princess. Yet he held still, his face as passive as if he knew there was nothing to fear, and simply nodded, his own way to concede and let them do as they pleased.

“Just please do be careful with the props and accessories, we are running rehearsals here.” He added just in case, the second before a particularly klutzy soldier tripped on a discarded sword and almost fell on the stage itself.

“Certainly. You have heard the good man, beware of your surroundings. But leave no stone unturned, please.” Marquis von Vestra said, his pale green eyes running through the performers and settling right on Dorothea. He took a few steps forward, leaving the audience and making his way to the stage as well. “Ah, you must be the new songstress the critiques seem to be so excited about. So young, yet so talented.”

“I appreciate your words, sir.” Thea answered, every bit in control of her voice and of her stance, almost as if she were in a scene that she and Manuela had been through plenty of times.

She would not be the one to give them away. She would not put Edelgard in danger, no matter how much it cost her. If that was one thing she could do for them – and after seeing that man it was almost impossible not to believe her stories about her uncle – it would be keeping them concealed in any way, shape or form.

It was bad enough she was probably part of the reason Byleth and Edie had left (why else would they do it?). She wouldn’t give them more grief.

“You are as old as the princess in question, I would say.” He went on, deaf to her reply and her politeness, getting so close she could almost smell the stupidly noble perfume oozing off his skin. It was one of the few things she disliked about performing to those people, the rich fragrances they wore whenever they could. It felt stupid, how even her sense of smell wasn’t safe from their impositions. “And interestingly enough, a few of the clues we have gotten led us here, with some people saying a child that matched Edelgard’s description was seen coming and going to the Mittelfrank Opera Company alongside two other kids and a grownup. One of them happened to be you, actually.”

In a perfect mimic of Byleth, Dorothea tilted her head and let a blank stare cover her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest, a dull sound set against the loud stream of thoughts that had taken over her head without her permission. She would not be their downfall. “Pardon, sir, I have never seen this princess you are talking about.”

“Have you not? Straight brown hair, lilac eyes, pale face. A lilting laugh and all the finesse that belongs to the nobility which she is a part of. Though I suppose some of those things could have changed, what with her being taken by rogues and the likes.” He mused, comically placing a finger on his chin in order to do so. It was at odds with his demeanor, though it lasted only a second and the next moment, he was back to carefully, coolly scrutinizing Dorothea again. “Care to tell me who that other girl that matches this description was, then?”

“She is my cousin, Cora.” Thea answered, smooth, practiced, real. Again, as if she were talking to Manuela in one of their many scenes. “She’s been visiting to watch me at the opera and has just gone back to her home.”

Marquis von Vestra was unconvinced, of course. He eyed her dubiously, almost challenging her in a way. Or just looking, measuring, trying to find a weak spot if any in her flawlessly crafted persona. In the character she had built in a question of seconds and was interpreting to a perfection that no child should have.

“Very well then.” He concluded after what felt like minutes of him staring down at her. “I am sure you understand that the punishment for lying or hiding someone like her would be akin to committing a crime, as in theory you would be helping the filthy knaves who stole young Lady Edelgard from her family to begin with. And that sentence would befall not only you, but all of those in the opera house if someone finds one trace of her here.”

“You’re wasting your time then, with all due respect.” Manuela spoke up, taking a stance in front of Dorothea and placing a careful hand on her hair. A protective gesture, one that wasn’t lost in that man. “If we ever saw the poor princess, we would report it to the authorities right away. No parent should bear the woe of not knowing where and how their children are.”

Thea nodded, surprised at how even smoother that sounded coming from the diva – and how that seemed to make the other performers that were there breathe in relief and then acquiesce as well. That was when the girl understood how precarious their situation was. If one of the cast or crew saw any reason to get revenge on Manuela and her, all this person would have to do was open their mouths and make a report. Luckily they seemed to understand that there was something awful about that man and his team, so no word was ever said about anything and time just passed as slowly as it could afford to, the complete inspection of the theater taking longer than anyone was comfortable with.

Thus Dorothea was beyond exhausted when those men left and nothing was found that could prove that Edelgard either was or had been there. She sat down on the floor and sighed the moment they had really gotten rid of those guys; that was when she noticed that her hands were shaking.

“Are you ok, Little Bird?” Manuela soothingly inquired, taking a seat beside her and holding her two hands on her own. “That man, is he…”

“Not her uncle, I don’t think so.” Dorothea answered once she found her voice, hidden behind a fog of despair and fear. “But just as dangerous I’d say.”

“She- she wasn’t joking about her uncle, was she?” Manuela asked in a small, contrite tone that called Thea’s attention due to how much grief it seemed to carry.

“I don’t think she was, Manuela. I really don’t think she was.”

After that, everyone had been too tense to actually go through their lines, corrections and songs. The Imperial guard didn’t take anything from them, but brought in a sense of unease and anticipation that wasn’t good at all and certainly didn’t help with anything. At least that was the feeling they got when watching Cassandra and Ariel, who sheepishly asked Manuela for forgiveness once they saw how serious the entire matter was and how much they had misjudged it before.

“You know what?” Stephen said after stopping their third attempt at a full rehearsal. His eyes were understanding and kind, albeit heavy and worried. “We should all take a day off and enjoy some rest instead of trying… this. There’s no show tonight and you guys have more than deserved it after so many weeks of hard work. Go, be with your loved ones and do something you enjoy. I fear some changes are coming and not all of them will be good.”

The last sentence, albeit whispered and said more to himself than to anybody else, was received by grim nods and thin smiles. The people of the Mittelfrank were more than eager to step away from the theater in that day, even if most of them considered it their home. Yet their home had been tainted in a way that had made it unbearable, so they dispersed in duos or trios, talking in hushed tones and launching pointed, concerned stares to both Manuela and Dorothea.

The two left as fast as they could after thanking Stephen for not only covering for them, but also due to the day off. It was true, the entire company was in need of some rest, more than ever due to the emotional turmoil of those last few days. The change of pace and to their routine was welcomed and cherished, even though the outside world looked even gloomier the moment they stepped out of the theater and into a chilly late morning that the sun failed to warm up.

In the same way, Manuela’s attempt to lighten up the mood between them was a failure. She took Dorothea’s hand and, wanting to surprise her, took her to the best bakery in Enbarr, one that she and the other two kids had raided at some time.

She couldn’t understand why the girl’s face become clouded as they sat down and enjoyed some freshly baked saghert and cream before going home, but all the time she felt herself and the child contained, their true emotions at what had happened earlier still coursing through their veins and undiluted by the sweet treat.

It was too much to be kept away like that forever, though. As soon as Manuela opened the door to her house and waved Dorothea in, she saw her usually angry face crumbling, opening before closing again and shining with tears.

“Thea, dear…” The woman whispered, closing the door and enveloping the child in a sweet embrace.

“It was… her favorite dessert.” Dorothea managed to choke between sobs and all the weeping she had been keeping herself from doing for so long. All the emotions that had been coursing through her for a long time were finally able to come to the surface, strengthened and intensified by the fear which had been brought by what happened at the Mittelfrank.

A fear that made everything so palpable, yet so distant and hazy since it spoke about what-ifs, about the future that had yet to happen. About the future that wasn’t hers to control, as she had no idea about what was going on with the two girls she had grown to adore.

Dorothea was so engulfed in her own sadness that she didn’t even realize when she was lifted from the ground and carried to the couch, where Manuela sat down and cradled her as close to her body as she could. Even as tears streamed down the woman’s face too, a lot quieter and more due to self-hatred than anything else, she did her best to keep her voice even and to grant that child as much reassurance as she needed, repeating that things would be ok.

“Dorothea, I… I know this is a tough time for you, but I want you to know nothing about this was your fault at all.” The grownup said once the kid in her arms had quieted down a little and still clung to her as if for dear life.

“Why aren’t them back, then? Why are they still out there, wherever that is? I did something to scare them off, didn’t I?” Thea inquired even so, recalling with anger all the times she had been selfish, hadn’t listened to either of her friends and just went on talking about her time on the stage.

Would she have done something different, had she known their time together was coming to an end, the minutes and seconds ticking to that moment when it all ended? Or had it not been a farewell, but a see you soon that Byleth had forgotten to say, or felt it unnecessary for her to do so since she would be back in a few days?

“You didn’t, sweetheart, I promise you.” Manuela crooned, caressing her hair and willing those words to sink in. “They had issues of their own to solve, as you saw today. And if nothing… I know it’s hard for you to see things like that right now, but in the end it was good they ran away. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to have to watch little Edelgard being taken away from us by that man today, or one of his guys.”

A shiver ran through Dorothea’s body at that mental image and it was promptly chased away by the diva’s hands running up and down her arm. “A-are they cold? Are they ok? Will they ever come back to us?” She pulled away to look at her guardian, emerald eyes shining with too much sadness and questions on them.

Too much for an eight-year-old to bear alone, even more so after her own personal losses too.

“I don’t know, Little Bird.” Manuela shook her head, unwilling to lie to the one person who she felt like she could trust, even if she was just a kid. “At least we know they haven’t caught the two yet, or else they wouldn’t be looking everywhere for Edelgard like that.”

They both let those words sink in, for they were in need of that. Every small victory counted in their book, for some reason. Every small thought that maybe things would be ok was more than welcome since everything had seemed so bleak and dry without those other two kids around.

“Manuela? Please don’t leave me.” She spoke in a small voice, tentative and scared, a child who had lost her friends and her family due to things that had nothing to do with her and affected her in the worst possible ways.

“I’m right here, my dear.” The woman said, giving a thin smile to that and bringing the little girl closer. The only one that she had left, the only one to still keep her company where once there had been three.

The one that, perhaps, she would end up leaving the day the Mittelfrank wanted nothing more to do with her. She hoped it would take time, however, as she wanted Thea to be older and stronger, strong enough to stand on her own two feet and need no one around her.

In the end Dorothea fell asleep like that, in Manuela’s arms, comforted by her songs, her warmth and her solidity. She was glad they had each other to hold on to since everyone else had already put her behind, abandoning her as if she were nothing. The moment she woke up, however, all that sadness hurt so much she promised herself she would never let anyone get so close to her like that again, ever.

She hoped time would not only heal her, but help her forget she had ever been friends with a princess named Edelgard and a thief named Byleth.

It had been an uneventful day, as they sometimes tended to be when one was in the forest and had absolutely nothing to do but lay low, gather food and train with a makeshift weapon.

And of course, which was the worst part of any day but had become almost a common thing in Byleth’s routine, worry about Edelgard and her health.

As days passed, it seemed she was only getting worse. After that morning in which the thief was able to get hold of some mint and walk with her for a few moments through the open forest, she worsened considerably. The next day standing up was difficult, for her entire body hurt and protested against the motion or any position other than sitting up with some support. Her cough returned and the fever was almost a constant, to the point that Byleth felt guilty having to wake her up for simple meals she would refuse or for the infusions that, she knew, were as useless as her knowledge in healing magic.

She had attempted the spells that she watched Manuela teach Dorothea while employing the technique that Mercedes had told her about. Although it felt like they were a bit useful at first, lowering the princess’s temperature and stopping her from shivering all the time, soon enough they lost their effectiveness and were as bad as, well, everything else that Byleth had tried so far.

Not that had kept her from trying, from getting more herbs, blankets and whatever she could find in order to make Edelgard’s life better. Luckily for them some people had started making picnics in that same area where the two kids had met Mercedes and Emile a few days ago. Whenever that happened, and as soon as the thief made sure she wasn’t about to attack those friends again, she would prowl in the shadows for a while and scare the campers away, then take their goods without a second thought and guarantee they would have some food for a while.

That had been one of such days and, what was even better, that stupid noble couple who had been complaining about the shambles around Enbarr before getting to the forest had even taken a blanket and some coats with them. Those things had been abandoned as they started kissing and so on, which was exactly when Byleth decided to strike and gather almost all of their stuff, save for the blouses they had discarded through the entire thing.

They had had a good new selection of coats and blankets to warm themselves with, all things considered – and had gotten a rare, good laugh at the couple who had fled in fear of Byleth and her weapon.

Evening had come soon after and now the forest was silent, enveloped in a mantle of darkness that had used to soothe her with how calm and still everything was. Now it was quite the opposite, the older kid noticed as she glanced down to the girl who shivered and whimpered softly on her chest, so small and fragile against her, almost disappearing underneath all those blankets that were so much bigger than them.

Byleth grimaced, embracing Edelgard and silently wondering what she could have done better, or what she could do as of then to revert that situation. Her hands mindlessly stroked a pattern on her back, though she wondered if the younger child could even feel that, and her eyes wandered to the sky above them, visible through some trees and reflecting a cloudless, clear night.

Her gaze traced the stars that had guided them together in that fateful night in the Enbarr palace, the ones they had watched when they went to the dance in the noble’s house and so many others that had looked out for them on their way back from the Mittelfrank on the days that had been their reality. In the same way, her brain rewound time, trying to determine where she had failed as a protector and coming up empty.

That shouldn’t be happening, though. She shouldn’t be clutching a little, sick girl for dear life in the middle of the forest like that, but so was the path their journey had taken. She sighed, causing the princess to open languid, scared eyes and stare at her, questioning without words since those had long ago failed her.

“You can feel it too.” Byleth whispered and winced once that was received with the slowest of nods. One of her hands went to Edelgard’s cheeks, caressing it and feeling how warm it was. “It’ll be fine, tho. Promise.”

They both knew how shallow those words were, just a fairy tale like the ones grownups told kids during bedtime. They could both sense a shift to the night, to the forest around them and reality itself, the energies that made the setting and surrounded them coiling and moving in different, unnatural ways. A presage of something more, something that had been brewing and would come, soon.

It was the dullness in those lilac eyes and how sad, concerned they looked that made Byleth take a sudden decision and carefully get to her feet. She took a better hold on Edelgard and, after listening to the woods around them to determine if that would be safe, meandered as if there was really nothing to worry about.

Maybe it was the wish to have one last, calm moment with the girl in her arms that motivated her to go on with it. Maybe it was the sudden stillness that accompanied them, a lull to the erratic movements of energy that allowed them to do so. She didn’t know and wouldn’t know for sure, no matter how many years passed, as even though a lot would happen the memory of such a small moment would stay with her longer than the rest.

It didn’t take too many minutes for Byleth to find a clearing, as she had pretty much mapped the entire forest in her mind during those days they had been there. It was a small, circular one a tad too close to the river and farther away from the city than she would like it to be, but no matter. It was the best they could do as of then, even though that best had stopped being enough for a while already. Thus she sat down, leaning against a tree, and stared at the sky again for a few seconds before speaking, letting the sole tear that had gathered in her eye dry first.

“Look, El, it’s a pretty night up there.” Her voice was flimsy, for the first time that of a child that needed help and didn’t know where to find it.

It was a stark contrast to how decided and stoic she usually sounded and that was exactly what made the princess look up first at her, then struggle to turn around so her back could lie against the thief’s chest and she could watch the stars too.

Edelgard’s breathing had sped up even more due to that small effort and she had to force her eyes to stay open instead of shutting in tiredness, but she was able to see just what Byleth meant. The sky, so clear and open, so full of possibilities and dreams represented by the stars shining above them, was marvelous. It was the first time she had seen something like that, so pure and soothing in a way. There were streaks of white, blueish light across some constellations that neither of them could name and at times they could swear some stars were falling and actually moving, though for some moments they wondered if it was just them imagining it.

“Shooting… star.” Edelgard mumbled, managing to utter some words for the first time in a long while. She sighed when one of Byleth’s hands caressed her shoulder and the other sought her own underneath the blankets, their fingers lacing together in comfort and support.

“Make a wish, little princess.” The thief whispered, making one of her own on the spot. “I wish El and me can stay together forever.”

That made the younger child giggle and squeeze her hand back, even if there was little to no strength behind the movement.

“I wish… By never blames herself for this… as I do not. I wish… she forgives me…” she had to stop as coughs took her over, her chest barely moving under Byleth’s hands even with such an effort. “I wish… she may remain safe come what may.”

“El, don’t say –“

“It’s true. I… be safe, ok?” Edelgard mumbled one more time, slowly craning her neck so she could go at the thief that held her with such tenderness, that had saved her so many nights ago.

“I will, but –“

Her words were cut short the moment her ears picked up on something, something that she should have detected earlier on but didn’t since they were both too distracted. The semblance of safety that the woods had given them was a perfect blanket to hide what was hiding underneath, prowling and waiting for the right moment to strike.

What had probably been prowling underneath for too long.

Byleth stood up in an almost jump, clutching Edelgard closer to her when careful steps reached her, just around the corner, behind a tree. There would be no time for them to hide and pretend they weren’t there, as she was sure the person had more than likely heard her. What was worse, the one weapon she had on her was a dagger on her belt, but she was busier keeping El in her arms to even reach for that.

She couldn’t let the princess stay on harm’s way, though, and that was not the proper form to defend a charge, she realized. That was why she gingerly placed Edelgard back on the tree they had been leaning against, taking a deep breath and drawing her dagger a single second before whoever it was turned around and got into her vision.

Not that she would need sight to determine who it was, since they were kind enough to announce themselves by throwing a sphere of dark magic on Byleth’s way, a few centimeters from where she protectively stood in front of a sick princess.

Her eyes narrowed even then, when vivid orange hair, a pale expression and determined caramel irises focused on her, the challenge in them silently accepted by the thief lunging forward, weapon hidden behind her forearm and ready to strike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand it's time for things to go down! Those will be some angsty chapters ahead, but it'll be worth it on the... Long run xD I promise 
> 
> Dorothea's arc will get a bit of a break, but she'll show up in other chapters still. Now we'll focus on our two girls here and well.... You'll see what comes next xD
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and have a great rest of your week!


	20. Darkness Spreads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth and Aradia fight due to their opposing views for the present that they want, the future they would rather avoid and their own regrets about the situation at hands.

Byleth had nothing more than a second to dodge another sphere of dark purple energy which was thrown her way. She edged to the right just in time, determining that was the side she would favor in order to keep the magic as far away from Edelgard as possible.

She knew Aradia well enough to understand the adult wouldn’t harm what she was after, but all bets were off when it came to El and the last thing Byleth wanted was for her to be hurt in any form.

“B-By?” The alarmed voice rang in her ears, fear crystal clear in its cadence, tiredness equally etched at how short and tentative the word was. It was her fault, the thief thought, she had let her charge get to that point.

And now there she was, having to fight someone she’d known before to save both from a future neither of them wanted, neither of them deserved or had asked for.

“We don’t have to do this, my dear.” Aradia danced away from the dagger she was able to spot at the last second, just as Byleth got too close to her and swung it near her torso. “You know who I came for, just hand her over and –“

“No.” The answer was clean, precise and cold like the next strike of that small weapon, one that did connect and made the woman grunt before pulling away. “Get out.”

“Not this time.” There was some pain in her voice, her wild hair an orange cloud against a forest that had become darkened once clouds set over the moon. Shadows became larger, more ominous, as the moment they were witnessing also grew in intensity and impact. “This time, I either leave with her – and you – or one of us dies.”

It was a stark change of scenery, one that favored the younger thief’s eyes, much faster to adapt than an adult’s. Even so Aradia didn’t relent, couldn’t relent. She called a sphere of dark magic to her palm, then made it surround her so there was some eerie purple light around her and she could see a bit better. Lucky for her, this time she had decided it would be better to act through the pain of the small gash Byleth had inflicted on her torso, ignoring it completely.

Just as she had ignored everything else until the last possible moment. Until Arundel had acted on his promise and, after doing mostly everything he had needed to at the palace, finally set upon Enbarr. The fateful night when Aradia saw the Imperial soldiers, she had been wandering the forest in search of some new animals to call her own. At first she heard their steps, the military precision behind them that was an unnatural rhythm and at odds with the wind and the sounds of natural life around her.

The view of so many guards just going straight at the Capital, whispering a tad too loudly about getting a certain princess back or else lord Arundel would have their necks, was something that shook her to the core. It was a message, she had been sure. The man and his kind worked through many ways like that; aside from theatrics there was no reason for them to take the forest as their route into the city instead of just making a straight line from the palace.

It had been a warning, a reminder of their promise. One that she heard loud and clear, then put a disgusted Jeralt and the Blade Breakers back to work on finding two kids they had deemed lost to them and to the world.

She danced away from another dagger slash, knowing she had the advantage in two major ways – and that the child in front of her with the vivid cornflower blue eyes twisted up in concentration and anger, probably had acknowledged as well. First, Byleth’s small weapon forced her to come closer to do any damage, but since Aradia used magic all she had to do was fire spells to keep her away. Second, and not a very nice thought but oh well, she could always pretend to, or actually do aim some magic, towards the princess.

Though a part of her protested at that and not just because she was sure Arundel wouldn't be happy at seeing his niece both sick and harmed, she swiftly gathered some magic on her hand and made to throw it Byleth’s way…

Only to change it last second and actually let it parade towards a wide-eyed Edelgard, who had mostly been watching the fight with watery irises and a surprised expression, one that intensified once she realized what was going on.

It scared Aradia when Byleth altered her own course and ran not away, but towards the energy sphere. Luckily she had been too late and the mage had intended it to hit the ground beside the girl, not actually her. Even so, the little thief stared for a second at the patch of destruction and lifelessness that now stood beside an equally-frightened Edelgard before turning around again and setting angry, shining blue irises at the grownup.

“Leave her out of this.” Her voice was scathing and threatening, the promise of a storm after a dangerous, unbearably hot summer day. It was the same tone she had heard other Blade Breakers use when protecting loved ones, people who meant a lot to them. And while it had been visible from the first time she and the little thief had met that it was exactly the same, it still surprised her to listen to that intensity right then, in the voice of a child no less.

That was actually a weapon she could use, too. The last thing she wanted was for either of them to be harmed – maybe now that Byleth had realized that was an actual possibility, she would listen to reason instead. She doubted it but it was worth a try, right?

“She has to come with me, Thief Princess.” Aradia whispered in a sad tone, realizing how the old nickname evoked nothing in that face, instead made it as stoic as it had been before. “She’ll get hurt if she doesn’t – more hurt and sick than she already is. We can treat her, nurse her back to health and make sure she gets to live. If she stays with you, she’ll be hunted down or she’ll die in your hands. That’s not what you want for her, is there?”

That was followed by silence, one in which there was the slightest rumble of a thunder in the distance, inside the chest of a child with clenched fists and a dagger in one of them, blade cutting into the palm and letting some blood trickle until she readjusted it. Byleth understood what she was saying, the truth in those words. She could also read how both options spelled disaster, just as she and Edelgard had read the stars before and made a promise upon them.

The answer was as clear as the lighting which tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the three of them and their starkly different expressions. “No.” Thunder rolled, an understatement, not as far away from them as they would have liked. “There must be another way.”

Aradia’s sigh was the wind, picking up in intensity as it prepared for the storm that now was almost a certainty. “There isn’t, little one. Not everything in life will be like you want it to.”

“Exactly. Which is why there _is_ another way.”

A snap of a twig was the only warning Aradia had before the child darted close to her again, weapon poised, all of her body poised and ready to be used as a weapon, a sword and a shield if it became necessary. The woman flinched not at a wound, as she was able to get herself away from the tree she had been standing in front of just in time, but at everything that she saw in that kid’s eyes.

Everything that hadn’t been there before, such as feelings like anger and sadness, but also a determination and will to pull through she had never witnessed in anyone else. It almost felt bad for her to use magic, to use the tricks at her disposal to make sure she got her outcome and what she had come to collect.

However, she knew something the child did not. She knew how much both Byleth and Edelgard would be punished if the soldiers were the ones to take them to the castle. Or how Jeralt had suffered enough, the Blade Breakers almost dissolved since their once-fearless leader began spent his days in taverns and with a bottle instead of a weapon in hands. How they had made minor incursions into nobles’ homes here and there but it wasn’t the same as before, when huge mansions were their targets. 

How the world, their world, wasn’t the same without Byleth and she wouldn’t bear it if her own sentimentality made her unable to bring the princess to Arundel. It was undeniable that her heart had ached and protested at the thought of dooming one child to save the other, but that, unfortunately, was the only thing to be done. Those people had never taken no for an answer and would not make them an exception right then.

With regret etching her powers, dulling them to a point that wouldn’t seriously harm either girl if it hit, she went back to the offensive, hurling dark purple balls one after another, aiming them more at points where she thought Byleth would step on next in order to make her change her course. To tire her, little by little, while dragging that fight a lot more than she had wanted to.

It would be better than actually hurting them, even if dark magic tore at her heart and body with each pull, a stretch and a cut that was made anew, imprinted on her skin just like the ones that were done to her so many years ago when she was nothing more than their experiment.

Byleth would not become one too, even if she had to die for it to be avoided.

They stopped for a few seconds, breathing hard, saddened caramel eyes locked with blue ones that had yet to slip back into their usual mask of chilliness. Rain was coming, they could smell it and feel it against their skin, a pressing weight that made them want to hurry, to be done with everything and be on their ways. Yet they were both patient, understanding that what was rushed more than often was flawed and not at all like the outcome that one desired.

They stared each other down, measuring, the adult’s face sad whereas the child’s was angry and on edge, defensive. In their eyes there were two ideals that couldn’t coexist, that were forced against each other instead of being allowed to cooperate and create a new future, one that would be more favorable to those involved. There was no other choice, though, and with that in mind they fought, diluted dark magic against a dagger too small to actually allow its bearer to come any closer without risking getting hit by ominous energies.

In her haste, Byleth called upon some magic of her own once, directing it to counter an energy sphere she had been too sluggish to dodge. Only to wince a moment later when her spell was absorbed by Aradia’s just as it always happened. She felt herself weakening the slightest, cursed under her breath at that little slip. That was how dark magic worked and she should have known better, had always known better and chuckled at other magical enemies when they tried countering the mage’s purple flames with simple black magic.

That was not the time to waver, to forget what she had been taught and shown about what she should and shouldn’t do when dealing with that particular woman. The pressure of keeping someone safe should strengthen her resolve to be the best fighter, not cloud it with impatience.

As a result of that slip, however, Aradia’s magic became more potent and the mage herself was renewed with extra energy. More and more spells were sent on Byleth’s way and, although they were still dulled when compared to how the woman attacked actual opponents, there was no doubt that they would hurt if they connected.

The girl sidestepped a volley of three Miasmas by dancing away from each instead of mindlessly running around. She hissed as the last one did graze her arm, leaving behind another sting that seemed to drain some of her energy again. A brief glance behind at where the other two spells had landed, showed her there were now two deep purple blotches on a tree trunk, which started withering a little, its once verdant leaves suddenly turning brown.

A shiver ran down her spine, though it wasn’t the first time she had seen that. It was good she had been able to guide Aradia a bit far from where Edelgard stood, even if she kept stealing glances at the princess and doing her best to beam a little whenever her eyes met scared, sluggish lilac ones.

 _It’ll be fine, little one_ , she would think at those moments, usually while avoiding a spell or another, her mind keen on finding an opening, a place where she would be able to counterattack and make Aradia falter.

Keeping a defensive stance wasn’t Byleth’s expertise, as she had always been one to halt attackers with a well-aimed blow, a surprise move or a good strike of whatever weapon she had in hand. Before that night, she had considered magic to be a nuisance, as close ranged combat was almost impossible to be done by a mage without them getting hurt.

While in theory Byleth should be having the upper hand, the issue was that the magic user in question was that good – and that she had someone else to protect, which caused her attention to slip and stray more than it would be good for any battle, least of all that one.

It was tiresome to keep focusing on so many things at once, her brain warning her against getting too close too soon and how reckless an attack would be when her enemy didn't seem likely to stop their own. Hiding among the trees or the leaves wasn’t a solution, as Byleth wasn’t even the real target to begin with and the second she was gone, she knew Edelgard would more than likely be captured.

“Insowfferable.” The thief mumbled, rolling on the ground to dodge another spell and feeling herself start to get tired.

Although she had been practicing on a daily basis, it was something else to fight against one of the Blade Breakers and the only one of them that wielded dark magic, those powers that drained and destroyed all that they touched. Her breathing was starting to speed up a bit too much to her liking, muscles straining due to all that running and jumping. She had to do something soon, or else –

“Halt there!”

Aradia’s voice made her stop and turn to face the more illuminated part of the forest, the one where she had left her charge behind. The woman was also looking there, with reason since the princess was attempting to get to her feet and walk away, even though she was too weak to do so and just leaned against the tree for support.

Edelgard and Byleth exchanged a knowing glance while Aradia tried rushing back to El, one that telegraphed her intentions to the thief as clear as the lightning that flashed behind her for a brief second. Byleth smiled just as starkly, before darting towards the distracted mage without a sound and finally, finally getting to attack her after too much time spent dodging.

There was a gasp of surprise and pain louder than the wind which howled through the forest at that moment, gathering speed for the tempest to come. Byleth had plunged her dagger on the small of Aradia’s back, the one place that seemed not as dangerous but somewhat crippling to sustain an injury. She didn’t want to kill the woman who had treated her as a daughter in the past, but she couldn’t risk her charge getting hurt because of her.

“Go away, Aradia. And don’t come back this time.” The child yelled for pretty much the first time in her life, anger and protectiveness enhancing her voice as she stepped away after taking the dagger out, standing again in front of the princess.

The mage had fallen on her knees, dazed and hurt. Blood trickled down the wound, invisible under black clothes and the dark night, coating the back of her leg with how much there was. Yet she knew how vicious Byleth could be when attacking enemies and defending who was dear to her; that hadn’t been meant to kill, but to slow her down.

It had been a warning, one that unfortunately she couldn’t listen to.

“I’m sorry, my little one. I have no choice.” There were tears in Aradia’s eyes as she said it, the thoughts of what she was about to do, of what she had to do stifling her. It would be for the best, she promised herself. They would both be fine.

The lie was so heavy in her mind, it was almost worse than the guilt which had taken her over since Arundel had told her his proposition, so many months ago. So many months that she had tried to drag, to give them time to get out of his radar, out of the city and hell, maybe even out of the continent. Fódlan wasn’t safe, but then those little kids were oblivious to that and should remain so.

She had a feeling one of them wouldn’t be that oblivious to that fact for too much longer.

Nevertheless, she had to do that, to get on with it before her mind stopped her and doomed everyone she knew to a life of pain. One kid for the sake of another, of the family that had raised her and welcomed Aradia like one of their own after everything that had been done to her. It wasn’t a fair trade, but then, neither was the world.

It was tough to rise to her feet, head bowed, and pretend to walk away. It was tougher still to just circle around and hide, wait for almost half an hour until Byleth relaxed, thanked Edelgard for the distraction and tried carrying her back to what she called a safer place.

Yet nothing was as difficult as gathering as much energy as Aradia could muster on an open palm, to take aim at Byleth’s back and finally let that empowered Miasma go, making her cringe once she heard a gasp of fear and a thud that meant she had hit her unsuspecting target.

Rain eventually started falling, little droplets that masked the woman’s steps as she hurried to the place where a scared Edelgard was feebly attempting to shake a hurt Byleth underneath her, raindrops falling from her eyes as the sky wept alongside the three of them. There were even more tears when the mage approached and knelt, grimaced due to the gash on her back and other smaller cuts she had received throughout the fight, and easily yanked the princess into her arms.

“There now, don’t fight me.” She whispered since Edelgard did just that, her weakened attempts to get back to the girl who was lying on the ground, stunned and with almost closing eyes, just too futile and a mere waste of energy. “Your family has missed you and us, Byleth’s family, has missed her too. You need to go back to your own place and leave her where she belongs, little one.”

“Let…me…go!” El ordered through tears, voice strained, watery purple irises burning with the wish to make her reality something else, something that didn’t mean she would be separated from Byleth on that day.

Aradia was deaf to her cries, taking a better hold on her and placing her head over her left shoulder before turning back and going through the forest as if it were her natural habitat. Edelgard still struggled against those hands on her back and under her legs, the touch somehow soothing even if what was happening was just too cruel. Her heart hammered in her chest as the trees grew closer around her, mind rushing with the thought that her last sight of the girl who had saved her and protected her for all that time would be that, a corpse lying in a clearing as rain fell and the skies covered every star they had named, the moon they had seen together so many times, the promises they had made.

All of that, lost to the wind and the clouds and the woman that had been enlisted by her uncle to get her back, who cradled Edelgard and had harmed Byleth, her Byleth, the one that had helped her navigate a strange world that was very different from the one her tutors had presented her to.

El's cries and screams were swallowed by a rain that became stronger, her fears and emotions yet again cast aside by an adult’s whim. She thought she was going to combust as they got further and further away from Byleth who had yet to move, trees surrounding them as the trail went deeper into the woods.

Then, a few moments before Aradia turned left, Byleth stirred and looked aside, as if sensing there were worried eyes on her. With as much strength as both of them could muster, they extended their hands, reaching for one another even though other people had seen fit for them to be broken apart.

Edelgard couldn’t remember how long they had been walking through the woods that had been her home for the last few days. Even so, given the fact that she had mostly been asleep or dazed with a fever meant that she had no more sense of direction in there than as if she had just stepped foot into it. That hadn’t been troublesome before, when she had stupidly believed that Byleth would always be there and offer some assistance when needed. That Byleth would protect her no matter what and no one could beat her when she had a sword in hand.

Reality had been keen to prove her wrong. On that night she had watched through hiccups and small sobs as her friend and protector had tried her best to outsmart a grownup, a very good mage at that, with nothing but a dagger and her wits. She had marveled at how fast Byleth was, the spells and energy spheres that were launched here and there barely touching her or not even slowing her down when they did.

No matter how adverse circumstances seemed to be, she had thought herself safe as long as Byleth was there. That was why she had tried helping the little thief when it seemed like the woman would get the best out of that duel, out of that attempt of subduing without harming, then smiled in victory once Byleth understood the distraction she had created and plunged the dagger into Aradia’s body.

Their moment of rejoice and temporary relief was cut short when the girl beside Edelgard crumbled, stabbed in the back by one of her own, by a spell so potent she had felt tendrils of it wrap around her too. And then…

And then there she was, lying limply in Aradia’s arms, waiting for whatever it was that would happen next, what others had in stock for her.

She had fought for as long as she could, yet a mixture of fever, apprehension, concern for Byleth and perhaps a bit of that ominous magic the woman wielded made her too tired to go on squirming after a while. Hence she had resorted to crying, to mentally calling herself names at how useless she was. How she had been unable to protect the one who had kept her safe for all this time.

The fact that it changed nothing and only added to the weight in her chest didn’t stop her mind for going on, either. There was nothing there to distract her, as Aradia was silent, resolute, with a slight faltering to her steps that was more than likely a result from her wounds. The woods around them changed too little for her to pay attention to patterns or to those transformations, the rocky motion of being carried almost lulling her to sleep given how tired she was.

She did her best to remain awake though, and managed to do so even when the woman stopped, took a deep breath and seemed to focus on something as raw power coursed through her body. For some reason that magic was different from the one she had performed before, though both harkened to the same origin and were equally scary. It made Edelgard shiver and not due to fever, when that current of energy passed through her.

It was impossible to hear anything through the pouring rain, but after a few seconds two birds perched on Aradia’s shoulders, two black crows that croaked in disdain first thing upon landing. They zoomed in on the child that she was carrying, four crimson beads that scared Edelgard once she met their gazes, as she had been shifted around and now was lying on the mage’s arms just as Byleth used to carry her before.

“I know, I know, this is some awful weather to be out and about doing business, but I do need your help anyways.” The woman crooned, shifting her head to glance at each bird and chuckle as they moved their heads against the downpour. “All I need is for each of you to deliver a message and then you’re free to go.” She took a deep breath and waited, thinking about the right words, imbuing them with power and magic so the animals would be imprinted in it. “For you, dear one, go to chief Jeralt and lead him to little Byleth. He’ll be happy to see her, I’m sure, but report to me once you’re done.

“As for you.” She turned to the other crow slowly, though not before sharing a hooded, meaningful stare with Edelgard. “Go to lord Arundel and let him know he can stop wasting his army around the city. I’m on my way to give him his dear niece back.”

The princess’s eyes widened as something cold ran through her bloodstream, pooling in her heart and making it hurt on its next, accelerated beat. Had she just said –

“Yes, little one, you heard it right.” The woman uttered as the animals took to the sky again, once the dark purple energy around them subsided. “I understand you’re scared and with reason, but there’s no other way.”

Edelgard was at a loss, partially because her mind was too muddled due to how sick, tired and now cold she was, but also since Aradia’s caramel irises were burning with something like regret and guilt at what she was about to do. Her voice echoed it as well, even as she started walking again, more than likely towards the castle Byleth had pried her away from in the night things were more than likely about to go astray.

Had she really been saved by one of the Blade Breakers, only to be doomed again by another?

“I think you’ll be safe, though. You are an Imperial princess and I’m sure not even he would be foolish enough to do something that could put your life in danger, more than it already is.” The mage went on, eyes locked with Edelgard’s, feet sure and precise in their steps. As if she had lived in the woods for the longest time, or if the forest bowed to her, keeping her safe. “However, I can’t let something like that risk little Byleth, who I love as dearly as if she were my own child. You can understand that, can’t you?

“Don’t you love her too? Don’t you want to keep her safe and sound after all that she’s done for you?”

The princess had seen tactics like those before, meant to make someone bend to another’s will due to regret or a similar feeling. She had used that before to get her siblings either to help her snuggle some extra dessert from the kitchen or keep her stack of sweets a secret, too. In that moment, however, she saw how efficient it was when done right, when the one trying to control others knew exactly what to say, what point to press in order to get what they wanted.

Her heart had ached at the mere suggestion that Byleth could be in danger, something that had never crossed her mind before and she realized that it should have. What would have happened if they had gotten caught by guards or soldiers? Presumably she would be safe in her room – or maybe not so much, what with how things were changing in the palace according to Hubert – but what about the thief?

At best she would be sent to jail, at worst she…

Edelgard didn’t know, but a bad feeling made its way through her body in the form of a shiver, one that Aradia noticed and took as a yes.

“That’s why I need you to listen very carefully to me, ok? No matter what happens next, don’t say a word about where you were, who you were with and, more importantly, don’t ever say your friend’s name aloud.” The mage’s eyes were glittering with what at first the princess thought was fury, but a closer inspection showed her a feeling she had seen in Byleth’s irises one times too many.

A feeling that, in the next second, as she nodded and swore to abide by that, was reflected in her expression as well. It was the need to protect, so strong it almost made her cry on the fact that perhaps she had been too narrow-minded, too reckless to think everything would always be fine. That her companion wouldn’t be put at risk no matter what.

She had been childish to believe things would always go their way, that the world would favor two children instead of all the adults that were bigger, stronger and wittier than they were. Now everything was hitting them, hitting her in the face again, just as they had done the second she had been taken outside of the palace and realized that the world was not like she had been told it was.

“Will she… be ok?” The princess inquired once she found her voice and was able to make it louder than the receding rain, droplets still splattering against her face and the much smoother ground around them, washing reality anew.

“As long as that man – your uncle – honors his words and all of you stay away from the Blade Breakers, I think she will.” Aradia answered, a bit more brusquely than she had meant to. That was a child she was talking to, she reminded herself, letting her gaze flow with some warmth as she felt the princess cringing. “Everything will be as it was supposed to from the start, now. Just… do what I asked you to, please.”

“You don’t… trust me. Or Uncle.” El stated, even though she could understand why. She was someone influential, albeit young. In theory, one word and the Blade Breakers could be chased down and locked up. In theory, even without her word for it, Lord Arundel could make up some excuse and do that.

When the realization also hit Aradia, her eyes widened in surprise and she realized she might have been foolish to simply trust one of the men that had been behind the worst years of her life. As she nodded at Edelgard and saw the Enbarr palace finally looming to their left, its stony glory hollowly echoing with the splatters of rain, she made a vow to talk to Jeralt as soon as she was done there and was free to go back to her family. To the family that had found its last, missing member at last.

“I do not.” The mage retorted after a few more steps, retracing her route so she wouldn’t deliver the girl on the front gates. The last thing she wanted was for guards to see her and make the connection that she was one of the thieves that had ransacked the palace so many months ago.

She needed to be out in the open, free to go back to Jeralt and explain things, not up in that place due to whatever stupid reason – or Arundel’s whims. If she had to attack him to claim her freedom, so be it.

It was no surprise that the moment she rounded a corner and arrived at the much smaller door located in the back of the castle, one that was often used for goods and letters that were better off getting into the palace without everyone seeing them, she saw a tall, imposing figure already awaiting, a crow on their shoulder as well. The rain had lulled a bit, still turning the castle a tone of grey that was a lot darker given the fact that few to no lights were on in the rooms above them, windows giving away nothing but darkness within.

To Aradia that meant nothing but the fact that it was probably very late and the royal family had been sent to sleep. To Edelgard, however, it attested to how empty the castle must be and that Hubert’s words had been true – her siblings had been sent away after all.

That only the man that now greeted them with a tight, fake relieved smile had remained there, though she refused to call him her family or anything of the sorts. Not with how he appraised her form before the mage could even get close enough for them to speak, or how his eyes glittered, the purple in them a shade that was too wrong, too different from her own for it to be a similarity between them.

There was something else in there, some lurking shadows or darkness that wished to spread, to take everything it could touch and consume it.

Edelgard squirmed in Aradia’s arms, moving closer to her as if that would be enough to take her away from the man that, so many nights ago, had almost harmed and taken her away to somewhere she didn’t want to go. Cursing her languid movements and speeding mind, she wondered if that would still happen, if she would be going to the Kingdom for some reason or another after all that time had passed.

Regardless, she glanced away, at the last trees that dared coming close to the palace walls, at flowers and bushes that had recently been crushed, at marks of horseshoes on the ground. Rocks were displaced rather abruptly as well, another sign that perhaps a big group of mounted people had been there as of recent. The child, already too aware of everything around her, wondered if that was cause for concern or if someone had tried helping the Emperor instead. Given how things were going, she could only assume she would find out soon enough.

“Here you are as promised, lord Arundel.” Aradia spoke, making Edelgard bolt and move even closer to the woman, making herself as small as possible.

“She does not appear to be well, however.” He tutted, taking the small necessary step to bridge the gap between them. “Whatever is wrong with her?”

“It seems that she’s sick.” The mage deadpanned, as concerned about passing her over to the man’s waiting arms as the girl was about being handed like that. For all she had prepared herself to that moment, the last thing she wanted was to condemn that girl to the same fate she had suffered. She could only hope it wouldn’t be the case. “It’s probably nothing but a persistent fever.”

That was received with meaningful, deadly silence. The princess shook, fear taking over her heart like it had never done before, making her let out a little yelp once bigger, gloved hands came over her shoulders and under her knees.

She wiggled, tried fighting off that unwelcome touch even if she was displaced with ease and clutched closer to her uncle in less than three seconds. Cursing her weakness, her small size and the inability to do anything to prevent that, she turned angry, hurt eyes at her uncle and kept doing everything to claw her way out.

“My my, we have a bit of a temper now, I see.” The man said after chuckling, irises shining as if he were looking at something particularly amusing, but meaningless. Which was exactly what she was to him, she knew. “Are you not happy to be back home? To the family that has missed you dearly?”

Maybe it was the weight of his stare, or that entire situation as a whole, but she couldn’t take it anymore. Everything felt like too much, all of those losses in such quick succession made her mind scream and protest, want to find a better outcome when there seemed to be none. It was stifling, it was scary. It was a pain in her heart that wouldn’t go away, worse than when she had witnessed death.

Because in a way, she was sure she was witnessing some kind of death right then and there.

“Where did you find her? I have had the guards looking everywhere and some were even dispatched to search outside of Enbarr.” He inquired, focusing on Aradia instead of the mute, struggling girl on his grasp.

“She was deep in the woods, completely alone.” The mage lied, realizing a little too late that saying something like that was risky given how her very appearance telegraphed that she had been in a fight recently.

The look and sneer she was given confirmed that it wasn’t lost on Arundel that she was lying and in a very bad way. “Deep in the forest, you say. I wonder what I would find if I were to take a throughout look at it.” The musing was done in a menacing way, one that made it clear he wouldn’t be opposed to actually doing that.

To making sure he found the thief that had accompanied his niece for that long and made them pay.

“Probably more trees than you would care to see, unless you and yours have found a way to make poison from simple tree barks.” Aradia jested, biting the edge of her tongue a second later due to something that, in her past, had gotten her in trouble. Now it wasn’t her life that was on the line, though, but someone she loved dearly. “I apologize for speaking out of line.”

“As you should.” That was followed by a laugh as the man readjusted Edelgard, holding her head over his shoulder and keeping his forearm under her legs for support. “But fear you not, I have no interest in that lowly girl for now. I intend to keep my word, even if you took your sweet time to bring me what I wanted.”

The princess did her best to look up, to see if they hadn’t been followed. If Byleth wasn’t about to emerge from the woods and defeat them all, saving her again like she had in that night. She knew it was stupid to hope. That she was behaving like her little siblings and should let all of those stupid dreams, all the ideas that everything would always be fine, for the younger ones. Things were not fine. It didn’t seem like they would be fine, either.

“She was very well hidden, I assure you. Not even my animals could find any trace of her. However, I do thank you for honoring your word, Lord Arundel.” Aradia bowed through gritted teeth, through the will to do more and to do something different. To make sure someone wouldn’t get hurt in that situation.

She had no cards to play, though. She had stalled for time for as long as she could, keeping her distance the moment one of her crows had spotted Byleth and Edelgard sleeping in the woods. To steer the Blade Breakers away from them once they had the very reasonable thought to check that area again; in the end she gave a silly excuse for them to turn the other way around instead of following that trail. She had sent two other kids there upon seeing that they carried a basket with food, telling them there was a nice picnic spot in the woods, then lulled them closer to Byleth with a baby deer.

Yet again, Arundel – or whoever that man was – had won and would have his way.

“A noble always keeps their words, more so if soon enough they shall become Lord Regent.” He marveled at the effect that had both on the woman, whose caramel eyes widened despite her rather emotionless façade, and the kid who stiffened in his grasp. Ah yes, he wondered how much the little princess would enjoy hearing about her family, about what had been going on while she had been away. “You are free to go, as I stated before. However, I advise you against meddling with the Hresvelgs or the palace in the future, as I might not be as kind to you and your loved ones.”

“I will keep that in mind. It brings me joy to see you reunited.” The way he pursed his lips made the mage well-aware of how much she was pushing with her comments. “Have a good night, Lord Regent.” She bowed again and turned around, making her way back to the woods that would so keenly accept her.

“Ah Aradia, one more thing. If that child ever gets close to Edelgard again, rest assured that your – eh, family, will suffer for that.” He added, enjoying the small nod he got in response. “Please do get that gash healed, you are better alive than dead. Even if you are nothing more than a failure anyways.”

After that was said and he watched her retreat for a few steps, Arundel himself turned around and touched the doorknob to the small gates, making them open with nothing but the same dark, ominous magic that had surrounded Aradia during her fight with Byleth.

Edelgard’s gaze pierced the mage as she left, scowling at her in anger while her uncle took her indoors mumbling something about her appearance, her state and how awful it was that she had caught so much rain. Her eyes weren’t the pretty tone of lilac that had once made Byleth say she should have a dress in the same color, but deep, closed, flaming with anger that tried concealing and stopping panic from taking her over, drowning her under incessant currents that would take her to a raging sea, a raging storm.

Her heart was still racing though, the intensity of everything making her dizzy and tired due to all the fighting, her trying to get away from those adults only to exhaust herself in the end. Likewise, her breaths were shallow and fast, as if less than enough air ended up passing through the tightening sensation in her chest, one that made her even more scared that something else could be happening to her.

The words the two adults had just spoken echoed in her mind, threatening to make tears flood her eyes. She was too confused and unsure to start drawing deductions and coming to conclusions, but she couldn’t deny it that it looked bad. It looked really, really bad.

Almost in reflex, Edelgard glanced up at the sky above in search of the stars that had etched and blessed so many of her moments with Byleth. And just like the thief she had grown so fond of, they weren’t there, uncertain clouds marring her view and obscuring everything so that although the rain was gone, there was nothing left for her to do but to mourn their absence, the darkness that she was left with.

Before she could be taken inside the palace through the door which led to the stables, the same one through which she and Byleth had escaped before, she could swear she saw a face peeking at her through one of the windows, a mess of curly brown hair and deep aquamarine eyes wide with recognition and fear. After that, she gave in to the stupor that had been trying to take her over for too long, letting all those jarring thoughts go at last.

“Edelgard is back, Father.”

For a few seconds, Ionius was sure he was asleep and dreaming the moment those words reached his ears. He beamed, glad that another day was over and the sweet embrace of sleep had taken him over already, the one respite he had from hours upon hours of worrying and wondering what would become of him, of his family, of the Empire that he so adored.

“Father?”

However, when he was called to attention again and his arm was shaken by his eldest daughter, the one destined to succeed him, he felt the crush of reality coming at him again in the form of too many gilded surfaces in his office, too many books on the shelves that lined the left and right walls, too many documents placed in front of him, the papers stark white and shining under the candlelight that ululated from a corner of the golden table he was sitting at, in the middle of the room.

He had to blink his eyes three times in order to clearly see Marina, to realize that she wasn’t curled up on the chair by his side or the sofas that stood beside the door. No, she was standing behind him, close to the window that had let some rain in once the storm hit, winds almost messing with his papers and lighting too.

Her expression was serene and stoic, letting nothing out for those who didn’t know anything else about Marina von Hresvelg than the fact that she was next in line for the Imperial throne. A few months ago, her biggest concern was making sure she knew in what direction she wanted to lead the nation, something she had been certain of since she was a child, and that she could get a marriage proposal soon to one or more suitors of her liking.

The trouble had been exactly in the last part of the sentence, as there had never been someone she liked, but oh well. Her father had relented after trying to tell her to get to know that noble man or woman a little better more than once, only to chuckle and let the issue rest. Then he had moved on to making sure she was ready in mind, body and heart to become ruler, even though he was as healthy as he could be and had been sure that her succession would take a long while too.

Funny how all it had taken were some months for everything to completely change, making his plans for the future shatter and crumble in on themselves as he realized how foolish and incredibly gullible he had been before.

His eldest child was now the only person he trusted, the only one to remain with him after first Edelgard went missing, then the others were sent away as per order of Lord Arundel once Ionius saw himself without either support or voice in state meetings. Marina shouldn’t need to take on that role, to bear with and help him through those times.

Yet instead of him whispering soothing words to her when she voiced a worry or another about her youngest siblings, she had calmed him down when he despaired, as he gradually lost power, autonomy, the centrality in his figure that he had sought to obtain all his life, and was reduced to nothing more than an image of power. An echo of his reign, of all that he had done to make sure no minister would have more influence than him.

That was what it meant to be the Emperor, right? So why had those people, those heads of six royal Houses of Adrestia, slowly risen against him, scattering his family and saying he was better off staying away from political matters until he was sure every single one of his kids were fine? Why his days, that had once been filled with so many discussions, sometimes outside of the palace as well, or teaching Marina what would be expected of her, been reduced to staying in the study room – surely with someone on the outside listening to what he and his daughter spoke of – until Arundel returned and took them to their quarters?

He wanted to know more about the world, to make sure none of those fools were doing atrocious things with the Empire that he loved and wanted to build into something great, to see his family again and-

“Dad?”

“Oh Marina, apologies, it has been quite a day I suppose. Can you repeat what you said, please?” He shook his head again, a head that now weighed a thousand times more than before, his face that had gained new lines in too short notice, one for each of the children who were plucked away from him without a goodbye.

More than just one wrinkle for his little Edelgard, the princess who was known for sneaking in the kitchen with a sibling or another and getting more dessert when she thought no one else was looking. His prodigy, in a way, as she was good with language and seemed to have a knack for convincing others to do her bidding, amazing qualities in a noble.

“I think that I have seen Edelgard return to us, dear father.” Marina repeated, not even an inch of irritation in her tone. Only the small curling of her fingers over her crossed arms could indicate that she was a tad impatient with the whole matter – she had been trained to remain impassive, after all.

The effect of those words, when they were indeed heard and understood, was instantaneous. Ionius shot to his feet with a liveliness he had been lacking ever since the little girl went missing, placed pleading grey eyes on Marina’s aquamarine ones, an inheritance from her mother even if her hair was curly and dark brown like his own.

“Are you quite sure of that, Marina?” His question was more desperate than he knew it should be, but what with all the craziness going on in the palace, plus the fact that he had pretty much been condemned to house arrest, had taken a toll on his once regal, imposing demeanor. Due to his slumped posture, a new habit or expression of his frame of mind, he was now a few centimeters shorter than the future Emperor, a fact that shamed him to no end.

“It was hard to see, as it is very dark outside due to the rain. But yes, I am convinced a strange woman just brought her back to us.” Marina was too honest to actually lie to him, but she had spent a few minutes close to the window after Arundel had brought her sister inside, trying to determine if telling him that news would do more harm than good. “El’s eyes are quite distinguishable, regardless.”

She kept to herself how scared, tired and small they had looked, as if everything that had made sense to Edelgard, the sheer foundations of her world, had either been destroyed or shaken into something new, something she couldn’t quite understand and had no idea how to navigate. It was a feeling they shared for completely different reasons, Marina supposed.

“And did she- did it look like she was faring well?”

The question had her reeling, unnaturally so. Her sometimes brutal honesty was known to those around her and she wasn’t one to dawdle, but on that occasion she did, she had to. That surely seemed like too cruel a truth to tell, at least so soon and after a day like that, too. One in which Arundel had acted again and let them know, with a smug smile on his face, that he and the council had deemed Ionius too feeble for conducting an Empire and Marina too raw to start doing so as of then. And as such, he would be more than happy to accept the position of –

There was a rather short, almost inaudible knock to the door which made them bolt and stand apart from each other. They had grown used to Arundel’s habit of doing so, of barely announcing himself before opening the door without being invited in. That night it was no different, but for the first time Marina felt slightly grateful for his interruption.

And sure enough there he was, as tall and regal as if he were the Emperor himself, sleek dark brown hair fanning behind his back, posture imposing and exuding something new, some sort of victory that mixed with sweet anticipation on his ominous lilac eyes. It put Marina in high alert and even Ionius felt a chill running down his spine at that vision. Yes, there was no denying that he was entirely too pleased with the return of the lost princess, as they had taken to calling her after that fastidious night.

“Greetings, Your Highnesses.” The title was spoken in jest, mere words of decorum that weren’t even followed by the proper bow that he should grace them with. It had been eons since they had been treated as the royal family, after all. “I bear news that might cheer you up, even if they are not entirely good.”

He took a moment to measure their response; the two Hresvelgs had learned long ago not to show any emotions whenever he or one of his allies were to address them. They weren’t completely sure about who was and who wasn’t to be trusted, though Duke von Aegir and, what hurt the most, Marquis von Vestra, were certainly top suspects for keeping them locked in and with little to no information about Imperial matters.

“My niece was found by a very kind woman who rescued her from an alley in Enbarr. It appears that the bandits who stole her saw no reason to keep her any further and simply let the poor child rotting on the streets, as if she were nothing more than a mere rodent.” Arundel finally said, once grey and aquamarine irises focused completely on him. He took pleasure in the smiles that they gave, hopeful and relieved ones that were expected given the nature of what he had just said. “A group of savages, really. Though I suppose we may rejoice at the fact that she is alive.”

“Indeed we can.” Marina answered – she was the one to talk the most when they were dealing with Arundel, as her voice and demeanor were a lot more stable than her father’s given all the treason that Ionius had been through for the last few months. “The lady must be lavishly rewarded, in my humble opinion.”

“As much as I agree with you, she left before I could even invite her to come inside and meet Your Highnesses.” He shook his head and sighed as if in exasperation. “I did wish she had remained for a while longer, but such is life I suppose.” He paused, measured their beams, wondering if he should say more the next morning instead of on that night. Yet it would be too good to just destroy them right then and there. “However, as I have said before, not everything is merry as it should be.” He stopped again, waiting, forcing his face into the heavy, saddened expression that would be appropriate for the circumstance. “It appears that Edelgard is gravely ill.”

Now that was the response he wanted to see, the shock and fear completely etched over their faces, taking over their irises and every speck of hope that they had held before. He relished in it, in the seconds of silence they took to process it.

“Are you quite certain that she isn’t just tired?” Ionius spoke for the first, apprehension framing his voice and his tone.

“Unfortunately so. As much as I wish it weren’t the case, her temperature is terribly high and she’s breathing too fast, coughing and so on.” Arundel grimaced, bowing his head. “It is quite tragic, but at least she is under our supervision now.”

Marina and Ionius had to keep themselves from sharing a knowing, scared look. _Their_ supervision could only mean one thing, and it surely wasn’t a good one at all.

“I wish to see my sister, Arundel.” The girl spoke, knowing she should have addressed him in a more formal way, but she found herself a bit too concerned to care about it on that moment in time.

As much as she had become Ionius’s and her younger siblings’ anchor while they were still there, as solid as the floor under their feet, she had suffered the most with the disappearance of her dearest, headstrong little sister. Her silent tears were for none to see, though, much less the man, the stranger in front of them that had apparently done a lot in the shadows, in the darkness even, in order to undermine the royal family little by little.

“I understand your hastiness, Your Highness, but I am afraid this cannot be allowed for the time being.” His refusal wasn’t a shock to either of them, but Marina had felt like trying even so. “It is bad enough that she is sick, but if you catch it from her it will be even worse.”

Ever worse for what? It wasn’t as if Marina had anything to do these days, except study whatever books were given to her by Duke Aegir and make her father company in the office, unless he had some meeting or another and she was taken aside for those. They were always with the same ministers, too, which had made her suspicious from day one and even more so when Ionius was always left shaken after those.

The first three to come had been Duke Aegir, Marquis Vestra and Duke (now Lord) Arundel. Then Duke Gerth had appeared from somewhere, as he had been quite absent for some time even if his role as Minister of the Exterior was a valuable, important one. Finally, Counts Varley and Hevring started being part of those meetings too, making it tougher and tougher for Ionius to keep his bearings and his orders to be deemed important.

What had started with the simple, almost routine-like suppression of a rebellion in the Hrym territory, and the request that the Aegir family would look over it, spiraled into Ionius being questioned by his recent policy and the almost exclusion of the other nobles from political matters. Maybe what the Emperor had seen as merely keeping those nobles in check had been taken as the last straw and made them retaliate – and heavily so.

Hrym was secure, no longer having a lineage of its own to even think about defecting to the Leicester Alliance. And the Emperor, the once-almighty Emperor, was now excluded from political issues in the same way that he had done to others before.

A look at Marina and Ionius was left wondering if his children would suffer for the mistakes of his past, for the reaction it had generated after years of centralizing power in his hands. As they were forced to agree with Arundel and were taken to their chambers for the night, he clutched his new, gilded cane encrusted with diamonds, rubies and obsidians, trying his best not to mirthlessly laugh at his own predicament, his own doing. He hoped his family wouldn’t really have to bear the burden of the past like that, although one could say it already was doing so.

Nothing in the world hurt more than parading through an empty, darkened palace that had once been alive with laughter, bantering and children running left and right after dinner had ended and they were free to play. To not hear their not-so-subtle steps when they tried to either jump scare him or get more food in the kitchen and pantries, or their lilting voices when they attempted to practice music and singing lessons with older siblings who could help.

He even missed the way Edelgard would fight with Edmund, two years her junior, whenever sweets were involved, then have meaningful conversations with Marina about the Empire once the youngest ones were sent to bed and the Emperor-to-be joined their games. 

Now there was nothing but the echo of their steps while they went through the long dining table that had gone unused, up flights of stairs where no kids were hiding or rushing through, no matter how many times they were told by tutors not to do that. The hallways to Marina’s and Ionius’s rooms were even bleaker, as theirs were the only ones that were occupied, in different floors. Even more so since, at least according to Arundel, Edelgard was being kept in the infirmary and not in her proper quarters too.

“Will you be so kind to give us updates on her health, please?” Ionius inquired after dropping Marina in her bedroom, as Arundel and him went together to the Emperor's quarter.

“Why, of course! Despite having no kids, I am not insensitive to the pain a parent feels when their child is sick. She is my niece as well, so rest assured that I shall keep an eye on her.” Arundel said while lurking at the room door, the Emperor slowly making his way to the big mattress. “She will receive the best of care too, as I have already sent a word for my best mages and healers to come to the castle as soon as they can. A few days from now she will more than likely be healthy again.”

Ionius nodded, weary and unsure about the entire thing. He couldn’t really understand why, but something about those so-called mages and healers made him uneasy, even more so since they were friends with such a lowly noble that had done nothing but undermine his power and influence as of recent. A sigh escaped his lips after the door closed beside him and he laid in his bed, another useless, anxious day coming to an end.

He wanted to believe that Edelgard being back was a good thing, something for them to rejoice in between the streak of bad luck and awful happenings that the Hresvelgs had been going through. Yet a small voice in his head couldn’t help but wonder if it would have been better if she had stayed away, never to be found until things completely calmed down at the palace. Or for her to never return after all, remaining the lost princess that perhaps would bring glory to the Hresvelg name in a future to come.

He had a feeling it wouldn’t take long for him to find out how true that intuition was.

Byleth didn’t know for how long she stood there, face turned so her right cheek was in direct contact with the damp ground. Rain fell around her, splattering against her back and the grass that was her only company, the different hues of green the one thing she could think about in that moment, after she had watched Edelgard being taken away from her.

She couldn’t move, her strength not enough to push some grass away from her eyes or to adjust her position on the ground. That last spell that Aradia had hit her with had almost completely robbed her energy, making her tired. However, given how winded she was with everything that had occurred on that night, she was unable to fall asleep.

The spell hadn’t been what hurt the most, but seeing her charge, her weakened, defenseless charge, being picked up and taken away from her, each step placing more and more distance between the two girls and letting Byleth know she had failed her. She hadn’t kept her vow and had been defeated by the mage, by the will of adults that would hurt the princess she adored, that she had gotten to know and admire in several little ways.

Although the thief promised herself she wouldn’t cry, the weight of that image, of watching Edelgard fade into the distance after Aradia took a turn and went deeper into the forest, was seared into her mind and her soul, hurting her, making her mind burn with how useless she was. The fact that she couldn’t move a muscle and would be unable to do so for a while (she had already seen the mage use that particular spell on others and it wasn’t pretty) only made her feelings get worse, turn into a web of darker thoughts and even darker sensations she had never experienced before.

How else to define the way in which her chest was hurting, a searing pain that made her want to clench it and just not exist until it stopped? Fighting against it was impossible, as it fed off her thoughts and the emotions she couldn’t name, the sense of foreboding that surrounded her, the anger that had replaced her blood once she realized what had happened.

Once she saw how she had been betrayed by her own family and had the princess snatched away from her, carried as if she were nothing more than a prize to be delivered back to the ones that would hurt her. And Byleth, well, Byleth was frozen in her own body, forced to watch, forced to feel everything for the first time in her life and do nothing.

It was too much to bear at once. The tears eventually left her eyes, silent against the pouring rain that engulfed and erased them, as the will of others had overridden their own. Even so she wept, pretty much for the first time in her life, wondering what would happen then to her, to Dorothea and to Edelgard. In which direction life would take them, and if there was something, anything she should do once she was able to move in order to reverse that, to make up for her one stupid mistake.

To make up for her belief that she had been able to fight off a powerful mage not once, but twice and that everything would be fine. That Aradia showing up had been nothing more than an interlude, a false sense of danger when actually there had been none.

How stupid it had been to turn her back on it and believe they were good. Now there she was, alone, a mere child instead of the protector she had vowed to be. A kid, crying at the loss of her companion, and not the young thief who had protected her father and other Blade Breakers several times.

A human, broken to pieces, instead of some sort of stoic, untouchable young prodigy on the battlefield.

It was strange to feel the sting of tears behind her eyes and their imprint on her cheeks, which continued even when the rain stopped after what felt like almost an hour. It washed her face, dulled the strange pain that had taken over her chest, but changed nothing about reality in itself. Weeping exhausted her enough so her mind had to shut down at some point, since thinking about it, about the horror in Edelgard’s lilac eyes, wasn’t getting Byleth any closer to the princess as well.

The tears eventually lulled her to sleep as the night stretched on in ebony wings that circled over her, then away once a shadow became visible close to the clearing she had been lying at.

She was already fast asleep when the shadow approached and some clouds started clearing away, enough for the moon to return and illuminate Jeralt’s unsteady gait and wobbly steps. He sighed once he saw his child lying underneath the place one of Aradia’s crow was circling, speeding up his pace as much as he could without tripping and falling over.

For the last months, he couldn’t remember what it was like to be sober or to see the face of his kid, so similar to the woman he had loved before tragedy occurred and only one of them could be saved. To find her like that, immobilized by one of the mage’s spells, with fresh tears still rushing down her cheeks (a novelty, since she had never cried before) made his heart pang with a mixture of sorrow and relief.

Jeralt hadn’t thought he would ever see her again, that some circumstance or another would make the two meet in a way that made him able to take her back where she belonged. He had been sure she would either live some sort of life with the princess she had abducted by some reason or another, or both girls would be found dead on the streets sooner or later.

To find her alive and breathing, albeit visibly heartbroken and alone, made him wonder about how he had given up too soon. Through his stupor, he thanked the ones who had never agreed with him on the fact that Byleth was more than likely lost to them, those that hadn’t let the Blade Breakers abandon Enbarr without the girl and had kept looking and searching even when so much time had passed and no one had been successful.

Bending his knees with as much care as he could in that state, he gingerly scooted her over into his arms and marveled at how much she had grown in that little time they had been apart. Not only physically, but maybe emotionally as well, since even in slumber deep there was a frown on her face and trails of tears under her closed eyes.

“I dunno all you’ve been thorough for this time.” He whispered; it was tough to speak due to how heavy his tongue felt. “You’ll powbably hate us too, but… it’ll be for th’best.”

He stared at the horizon one last time, at the few parts of the Enbarr palace that were visible from where they were, and promised they would never set foot in that place again. Turning away, giving his back to that episode and glad it had come to the end, he started languidly making his way to the other side of the river where the Blade Breakers had made camp.

Ahead, a lone crow flew by in lazy circles and cawed in premonition of what was to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand there we are! That was a ride to write and proofread (nah, i actually do like my angst a little bit too much), but that was how Edelgard and Byleth get separated after their months together. This scene (them trying to reach out for one another while Edelgard is being taken away) has been in my mind for a long time and is probably one of the first that made me draft this fic to begin with.
> 
> Little side note, giving some characterization to a few of Edelgard's siblings, especially Emperor-to-be Marina was really fun too, more than I thought it would be. 
> 
> For the next few chapters we will get a glimpse into their lives when apart from one another (and Dorothea will show up too, she's important xD) before hmmm some people meet up again hehe.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Have a great rest of your week :3


	21. No Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard sees herself in the palace, in the company of her oldest sister and the strange mages that are supposed to help her.
> 
> Meanwhile, Byleth is brought back to the Blade Breakers and tries to get away from those who once were her family.

“We are safe enough already, I think. Show yourself.”

The command was natural, colored Marina’s voice with tones and inflections that she hoped one day to use as she directed her people, even if due to recent happenings she was left wondering if she would ever rule anything at all. Not when there were so many nobles in charge of politics nowadays, her father a mere decorative figure to be flaunted at dinners, special occasions and public celebrations so no one would suspect something was off.

Yet, if the rumors that she had heard from the one who was hiding in the shadows of her quarters and she had asked to come forth were true, the citizens of Enbarr knew – or at least suspected that there was trouble in the palace, since they were left without a soldier or city guard to protect them. It was a blessing that Hubert, the boy that had been assigned to her little sister El and not her, had stubbornly gone after Edelgard and returned with valuable information such as that.

Even if it had resulted in him being confined to his room, where apparently he had classes every now and then. In the end that had been beneficial too, since it led to him discovering the existence of secret passages connecting most, if not all rooms in the palace.

Passages that the future Emperor and her siblings had started using afterwards while being kept to their quarters, until they were sent away and only Marina remained. Then, she and her sister’s vassal had kept meeting because of them, with the boy reaching her chambers each and every night for a report.

For once he was her vassal, answering to the oldest Hresvelg child as it should have been from the beginning. And his loyalty, while still focused on Edelgard, was swerved to the duty that he knew was his real one: to serve the Emperor-to-be.

“Apologies for the delay, Lady Marina.” He bowed, stepping forward as silently as if only the night breeze had blown through the wind.

He had come from the book shelf to the right of her bed, where most of the secret passages were located, small tunnels that were dark and stale but fell on bigger ones, like a web of rivers that flowed into others until it reached the sea. She wondered where or what that sea was, if there was any connection between these tunnels and the outside world, but at the same time knew there was no good in asking.

Of all the Imperial kids that could make use of them, she was the last one that should even entertain the notion of escaping. Who knew how much worse that turmoil in the palace would become if she were to vanish out of thin air, what would be done to her father.

“I assume you already know that El is back.” The woman whispered, hands busy as she brushed her dark brown hair behind. It was a soothing gesture that she repeated night after night, something that reminded her of easier days and of routine, when she would sneak out of her room and do that to her sisters until they almost fell asleep on her lap.

Watching her own reflection in the grand, red vanity lit by a single candle, the rest of the room in darkness as she preferred it as of late, she mused about the rest of her siblings, about the one that had returned. About what it would mean, that she was back.

“Indeed.” The boy’s voice was stable and almost too quiet while he approached her, so they could speak in hushed tones. They had no idea if some guard or another was kept outside Marina’s and Ionius’s rooms; it would be better to not raise any suspicion that there was someone in her quarters. “I have watched the moment in which she was brought back.”

“Do you know the woman who was carrying her?” Marina abandoned her ritual, too distraught for that, and turned to face him abruptly, knowing her gestures alone would warn him about her mood. The boy was perceptive for his age, but then he had been trained to cater to a future Emperor from an early age.

And it still eluded her why he was made to protect Edelgard instead of her, even if their age gap had been a big one for him to be useful to Marina when he was finally presented to her sister.

“I am afraid I do not, but something about her demeanor tells me she is not of noble origins. Given how well-hidden Lady Edelgard was, I wonder how she was discovered to begin with.” He added, confessing where his thoughts had been at ever since he saw the girl being brought back.

“Indeed, I wondered the same.” Marina rose, restless, her long crimson sleeping dress brushing the ground as she paced around the wide, circular rug on the floor. “And Arundel said she is sick, so that is another issue that has been bothering me.”

“That is true, unfortunately enough.” He gritted his teeth, remembering how Edelgard had seemed to be a bit too pale and somewhat weak the last time they met. “I suppose that songstress didn’t care for her the proper way and let things get to this point.”

The woman hummed her agreement; she hadn’t really liked it when Hubert told her that El and her little… _savior_ (she had no idea if she should be thankful or concerned for the thief who had plucked her sister from the palace, but even so) were being housed by none other than Manuela Casagranda. That they were in the Opera House, helping out to the best of their abilities and making sure things were ok.

It had sounded too risky, as if they were exposing Edelgard too much. That information, along with Hubert’s report on how most of the guards and soldiers had finally moved away from the palace and ordered back to Enbarr, had made her wonder if her little sister wasn't spotted by one of those – only to start musing on what she had been through, to get back to them in that state.

“All we have is conjectures and they are as good as being in the dark about everything.” The future Emperor hissed, hands balled into fists. She missed being able to practice combat with the generals or other tutors that were hired from time to time in order to aid the Imperial children in their studies. Ever since the night that Edelgard vanished, even their classes had changed dynamics.

A lot had changed in those few months, gradually at first until it exploded and spiraled completely out of control. At times, when thinking about everything became too much and Marina couldn’t see a solution, a way out by herself, she would close her eyes and pretend they were back to easier days, when the worst that could happen was one of her siblings getting sick and passing it on to everyone else. Or one of them disappearing, only to be found later (usually with El) on a tree or another, surrounded by sweets and extra dessert that had been taken from the kitchen.

Now there she was, a future Emperor with no power. The oldest of eleven children, with no clue about how or where nine of those were, or what would be of the one that was there, maybe in graver danger in the palace than she had been on the streets.

There was no choice, Marina thought, feeling the weight of everything press behind her eyes, turning into tears that she couldn’t, wouldn’t shed. Not then or there, with her sister’s vassal in sight. Not when she had something else, something better to do instead of worrying and losing sleep.

“Take me to her, Hubert. I need to see my sister.”

He nodded, not even surprised with the request. The oldest Hresvelg was a woman of action more than one of words, something that he had always admired and hoped it meant she would make a great Emperor. Although not even he knew what would happen next, how the Empire’s political scenario would go on, he was still able to hope it would be the case. That no matter what occurred in those tumultuous times, once Marina ascended the throne she would make things right again, striking those enemies that had pretended to be allies for too long.

“It is somewhat of a treacherous way, Lady Marina, so I warn you to wear something more than sleeping shoes for it.” He said as he stepped closer to the bookshelf he had emerged from, pushing the necessary books in order for the passage to show itself up again. In front of him there was nothing but consuming darkness, but the woman knew that his vast magical knowledge, so impressive at a young age, would aid them to not get lost in it.

“You have been there already.” It was a statement and not a question, uttered while she fumbled for riding boots beside her wooden chest and slipping them on with efficiency. Riding had been one of her favorite hobbies, something she hadn’t been allowed to do for months either. She even wondered if someone was taking care of her mare, but that was neither here nor there.

“It is the reason why I was late as well.” He agreed, wincing at it. He knew he should have reported to her first, but it was impossible to stop him from taking at least a sneak peek at his master, the girl who was shivering under piles of blankets and tossing in her dreams. “At the very least it allowed me to map the best route there, so we will not be gone for too long.”

She simply hummed and waited for him to take the first step into the passageway, then placed the shelf back into place with a small click after following him. There were a few seconds in which they were surrounded by nothing but darkness, the chill that emanated from the stones around them more encompassing than the wintry winds that had started blowing upon Enbarr, until a small fireball did materialize on the boy’s bare palm and they were able to see better.

Not that there was a lot to see, nothing other than silver stones and other tunnels that would branch from their own on the left or right, but even so. It was better than staying in the dark and panicking about where they were going next, where to place their feet. Likewise, she was astounded at how effortlessly Hubert maneuvered through what looked like the same passages, turning left and right at random even though there were no telltale signs that they were somewhere different from before.

“How do you know where to go?” She inquired after a little while, her voice reverberating around them, echoing in the walls which were pressed together, too close to them for comfort. Mere five minutes into that place and she wanted out, feeling completely at odds and too stuck, imprisoned inside it.

“I am following your sister’s energy signature, as it is easier to find it than to try making a mental map of this place. Besides, there is the chance that she might be moved to other rooms, as they are mostly vacant, so this is safer in regards to that.” He explained, making it seem like an easy feat.

Although magic wasn’t Marina’s forte, she knew very well how much of a toll it probably put on him, as locator spells were somehow demanding, asking for energy to be poured into it almost constantly. Another reason to count herself lucky that Hubert hadn’t stayed with Edelgard, and that he had been trained from such a young age to be that capable.

“I appreciate you doing your best for my headstrong little sister.” She commented, realizing she had never uttered those words before and chuckling for the first time in months once he stumbled, as if the praise had been either uncalled for or something he wasn’t used to.

Given who his father was, the horrible and merciless Marquis von Vestra, she was pretty sure it was the latter rather than the former, but kept that in mind anyways. She would see that Hubert was generously thanked for his services once that madness was over and his father was again under control – hers or Ionius’s, it didn’t matter. What did matter was taking those usurpers out of the Hresvelgs’ rightful place and rethinking who their allies really were.

She had good plans about that already, and as soon as she could speak freely with her father…

“We have arrived.” Hubert said at last, his tone stained, breath heaving at the combined efforts of keeping the locator spell going and walking through those uneven tunnels for the second time on that night. “Please, step back.”

Marina had one second to do as she was asked, before Hubert’s magic flowed from his fingers in tones of black and grey, Reason coursing through him with so much intensity that the small hairs in the back of her neck stood on end. He had informed her that the secret passages could only be activated by magic, which was why he was doing that in order to allow them to get into the room, but it was the first time she had seen that happening – or what those tunnels looked like, too.

“I did not know this process could be so strenuous on you.” She commented once the energy had faded and the slight sound of a bookshelf moving on the other side could be heard. Soon more and more light flooded the passage that they were in, enough for them to realize someone had turned on the fireplace and some candles too.

“It is nothing… highly unusual or as demanding as it might seem.” He answered, his face dismissive and impassive. “Today has been an incredibly long day, that is all.”

Behind that sentence and the grimace which colored his pale face for no longer than three seconds, Marina could see some anger and frustration simmering – she could only guess what the boy was hinting at, but in any case it didn’t seem anything good.

The atmosphere changed when they stepped into the new quarters, which were indeed lit up by the whispering flames of the fireplace as well as several candles scattered through the quarters, over the study table, the nightstands around the enormous bed, on the wooden chest beside the door and so on. Fire cast its gleams and its shadows, making it at once both comforting and secretive, mysterious.

There wasn’t much furniture or personal belongings in it, as that wasn’t Edelgard’s original room, the one that had been vacant for months and stared at with dismay when one of more of her siblings passed in front of it. The only things there were the empty chest, those tables and the mattress, a small, square rug in the middle of the chambers and a generic painting of the Tailtean Plains on the wall beside the door.

And of course a child in the mattress, tucked under white sheets and duvets, whimpering, tossing and turning as if she were battling the covers over her, the place where she was. The fact that she was no longer outdoors, being held by her savior, but was imprisoned in the place that had once been her home before so much had changed.

It shattered Marina’s heart to see her sister like that, so small and fragile, so different from how she recalled her. Edelgard didn’t use to frown like that, or edge away from touches the way she did when the woman approached the bed and sat down on it, then took a hand to the princess’s face in order to caress her.

“El dear, it is me.” Marina spoke in whispers, getting her face closer to the girl so she could be heard, well-aware that Hubert was watching them from beside the door, one ear on the outside and another on them. “El? Little sister?”

It took a few more seconds for Edelgard to open scared, wide lilac eyes that further told Marina how much she had changed in the time they had spent apart. The soft irises she had loved were somehow hardened, her gaze bearing a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. As if the child had witnessed and been part of things that no kid should ever see. Or that even Marina herself had yet to see.

The thought disgusted the older princess, though a part of her rationalized that it was to be expected. None of them had left the palace and Edelgard was the first to do so before her other siblings were taken away. Of course, if she were in the streets and then cared for by a songstress, she might have experienced a lot more than the others, than the oldest sister who felt like a child when those eyes fell on her.

“Marina…” Edelgard whispered, striving against the pressure in her throat in order to speak, wincing since it caused her some pain.

“Hush, my dear, don’t strain yourself too much.” Marina relaxed once her touch was accepted and she was able to cup the girl’s cheek, petting it with a thumb. She knew she should be more careful about touching a sick child, even more so when she had been outside, but in that moment she couldn’t really mind it too much.

Her sister was back, and she couldn’t decide whether that was a good or a bad thing.

And although she had gone there to see her, to make sure Arundel wasn’t lying in some very elaborate form in order to further break her and Ionius, she also wanted answers, wanted to hear more about the child she had cared for so much before the palace had been turned upside down. It would be tricky to question Edelgard though, in the state she was in. She would have to try regardless and soon – she was sure Hubert wouldn’t allow them to be in there for too much longer or else risk being discovered.

“Honey, what happened to you? Why are you so sick?” Marina inquired, deciding to start with something easy. To make matters worse, El’s eyes were drooping and threatening to close at any second as the child fought against exhaustion.

“She knows about Byleth and the kidnapping, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert stepped closer to them in order to inform her of it, his light green eyes widening the slightest once he looked at her for the first time in that night.

“Don’t... we cannot – speak her name in here.” El said with as much strength as she could in order to make sure they understood that was important. “Must protect her like… she protected me.”

“Protect her from what, love?” Marina held one of her brittle hands, squeezing it in encouragement, wanting to hug that tormented little girl and tell her everything would be fine.

However, they both knew it would be a lie and that it was stupid to keep repeating it at that moment. It would do nothing to soothe either of them, to dilute the dark anticipation which beat in their chests, a second, ominous heart. One that might be counting down the minutes and seconds for something else, something they would rather not think or wonder about.

“… this.”

One word, one slow gesture with her feeble hands that encompassed the room, and they knew what she might be trying to say. Marina nodded, solemn, respecting her wish. “Her name shall never be uttered again, we promise. But now –“

“What has been – going on here?” Her breathing was fast and shallow, painful and raspy, as her voice sounded.

As the oldest Hresvelg, Marina had seen plenty of children getting sick and then healing as magic, potions and special meals were delivered to them. She couldn’t remember ever seeing one of her siblings in such a state, however, and she was sure her horror was transparent in her face in some way, as Edelgard was the one petting her hands instead.

“It’s… ok. Tell me, please.” She insisted, making some tears gather on Marina’s eyes.

Everything was threatening to crush her chest, her shattered heart as of then. All the days Marina spent wondering, soothing younger kids who couldn’t understand where their sister was, and a father that was inconsolable too. Or silently watching and being unable to act as soldiers were mobilized, cutting the royal family’s access to the outdoors, to resources and to simple things such as strolling through the palace and attending lessons. Then the conferences, her father getting sadder and sadder without her being able to do anything…

All the memories coalesced, joining to form something potent and destructive which almost made her cry in front of her weakened little sister. Yet she kept the tears in, cradling her human self and casting it aside in favor of her position and her influence. She was the future Emperor and before that, she was an older sibling. She had to inspire and soothe, not to be soothed.

So Marina sighed, closed her eyes and beamed, placed both arms behind Edelgard’s back and pulled her limp body into a warm embrace, shushing her. One of her hands went to the child’s head, holding it close to her broken heart, and she smiled when El made a little, content sound. Many things might have changed, but apparently she still liked to be held like that.

“Marina…?”

Her raspy voice brought the woman back to the present, grounding her from the rivulet of memories about the days in which she had wanted to hold Edelgard like that, when the girl had been missing. They had been the closest of siblings between the eleven Hresvelgs, so she was the one who suffered the most – and in silence – with her disappearance.

But that wasn’t the moment for a get together. They both demanded answers, and those had to be given fast.

“I am sure Hubert has told you a few things already, but the palace has been… we have been in some trouble, little one.” She wondered what she should say, what would be safe to relay to such a young child that was lying in bed like that, already having her own things to battle on top of that. “Some people have conspired against father, I think, but in any case we are attempting to control it, to make sure everyone is safe and sound, ok?”

“I can bear it.” With that, a condescending smile given while distancing herself from Marina, Edelgard said more than she could with an ornate lie. She made sure her sister understood the last thing she wanted was to be undermined, to be fed such pretty words. “Tell me.”

“There is no time, sweetheart. We do not know when they – any of them – will be back to take a look at you.” She concluded, shaking her head, wishing her sister would just talk about herself instead. Yet she knew that worried face, forehead creased, eyes trying their best to focus on her even though El was so tired it would be a matter of minutes until she slept. “And making you more concerned would not solve our issues. But you do have a right to know.” She spoke up before her sister did, once the girl opened her mouth to protest again. “Father is almost powerless, El. Your uncle and a coalition of his allies have slowly undermined him – and us – with some maneuvers.

“I do not know the extent of this, as I was cast aside from meetings and other events in which such things were discussed. But we have been kept apart from everything that has been happening in the Empire and beyond for the longest time. Father barely gets any letters or documents to sign, to say the least.” Marina stopped, sighed, brought the small girl closer to her again in order to comfort.

Herself or Edelgard, she couldn’t really tell.

“We have to wait and see what comes next, what lies at the end, I am afraid. It does not mean father and I have given up and rest assured, the moment I ascend the throne these bastards will pay for all they have done to us.”

There was a lot more passion in her voice than either Edelgard or Hubert had ever heard before, somehow scaring both of them. She noticed it and instantly went back to petting and soothing El, who lay limply against her chest and took in that comfort, one that she hadn’t had for ages.

Unfortunately, there was no time for Marina to try inquiring about her little sister again, as Hubert jumped from his spot on the door a minute or so later, saying he had felt someone approaching. Even if it could be only a person or another walking by the hallway it was better to be safe than sorry, so the sisters said their hasty goodbyes before Marina tucked Edelgard into bed again, promising to come back as soon as she could.

The two visitors were gone before the door to those chambers opened and a sole mage dressed in black from head to toe approached the mattress, his face hidden behind a mask that made him look like a strange creature out of Edelgard’s worst nightmare. A vision that was made worse by the fact that Lord Arundel was right beside him, too.

It was the motion that got through Byleth’s stupor, making her shrug off a pleasant dream about having some saghert and cream with Edelgard and Dorothea. Something about how she was moving in that store was completely off to her and soon enough she understood why.

There were no Edelgard and Dorothea close to her, nor a sweet treat to steal and enjoy in a warm, long summer afternoon. Instead it was cold and she shivered at the wind that bit through her damp clothes, skin and hair.

Slowly she came by, remembering rain and a battle, something dreadful and chilly in her chest. The first thing she noticed was that she was being carried by an adult who was walking with an unsteady gait which made them rock a bit too much when moving. It was easy to recognize the reek of alcohol on their entire body, something that also hinted at who that person could be.

And if she was actually right, then she would have to do something fast, or else actually lose… Her.

Memories gradually resurfaced through her stupor, though it was difficult to move and to grasp into consciousness to begin with. It was as if Byleth had been run over by a horse, wyvern and pegasi battalions at once due to how tired she was, something she had never experienced before.

Even so, she fought against it, tried latching on to her recollections and let the pain of the latest events jolt her into wakefulness once and for all.

Aradia had tracked them down in some way or another.

They had fought and she had lost once she thought she and El were safe.

And now of course, Edelgard, sweet, sickly Edelgard had been taken away from her, more than likely back to the castle, and she was being taken... somewhere else, in a different direction.

Her chest squeezed and she was unable to keep a grimace from her face. She couldn’t believe that after a lifetime as a thief she was fooled that easily, by a trick she and the Blade Breakers had applied several times in order to ambush opponents that looked very skilled, or whenever they didn’t want to work too much for treasure and the occasion called for it. Why, she had often been the head of those operations given how stealthy and patient she could be as a child, but now…

But now that had been her own demise, the dull ache and tiredness caused by the spell enough evidence of her failure. Enough to make guilt beat at her chest, hurting it anew.

She remained in that person’s arms, her head cradled to their chest, lying as limply as she could if that meant she would be able to fool them into thinking she was still out of it. If her guess was correct – and it more than likely was given how familiar she was with that gait – the one holding her was none other than her own father, who even drunk would notice if she opened her eyes to take a peek at their surroundings.

And in any case, what with how languid she was feeling because of Aradia’s magic, it would be tough to wrestle herself free. It didn’t mean she wasn’t going to do it, though – she had to, for the sake of everything she had put the princess through during those months.

For the sake of their promises made under the stars and the moon, which had been witnesses to the vows that Byleth wanted so much to respect, honor and keep.

There was no way to tell how much time had passed or how far from the palace they were, but she was sure she would be able to make her way there once she was out of that predicament and had full control of her limbs. The problem was her becoming strong enough to fight back, something she was sure she would need to do as soon as she broke away from Jeralt. It was already an issue that she was being held so tightly and his steps were so erratic, since that meant she was unable to predict his next movement.

And that spell had done a number on her, too. No matter how much she tried staying up, it was hard to focus and not succumb back into dreams that were too sweet, too much a contrast to the reality that was kept at bay.

Yet she was awake enough to feel how he gradually got more and more stable as time went by and his steps slowed down, which made her think he was nearing a destination. It was scary to wonder about what that would mean for her plans – not that she was able to do anything about it anyways, but even so. It was tempting to open one eye and make sure she was clear and would be able to get away at some point, but the opportunity never came.

Soon she was surrounded by familiar sounds she hadn’t heard in a while, ones that used to mean that she was home. When before that realization made her feel nothing, just the sameness that was pretty much her whole existence, this time she was filled with dread and a restlessness that had never been there before.

And due to that being a novelty, something she wasn’t used to, she made her first mistake by letting it call her next actions.

She twitched against Jeralt, willing to break free, to halt that approach and the return to the camp that she knew was near, the fire she could hear crackling in the background underneath the heated, animated voices of people she had once known, that she had long thought were lost to her.

That she had considered part of a past that would never come back, as if she had stepped into her future the moment she protected a princess from a grownup.

To be back was, then, an admittance of defeat, of her inability to do what she had set out to. It stung her chest, a voice roaring in her head once she saw behind her eyes the princess, all pale cheeks, disheveled brown hair and shining lilac eyes, trying to reach for her, a hand extended into nothingness as Aradia took her away.

Aradia… the name burned in her as well, made her resolve stronger. She would find the damn mage and make her pay for it, for hurting her, for trying to separate them. But in order for that to work she had to be fast, or else it wouldn’t be just a possibility. Their separation would become reality.

“You’re awake, I see.” Jeralt gripped her stronger – her body was so sore and sensitive that it hurt, even more so when she struggled against his grasp. It made him sigh, the sound turning into a gasp when she opened testy, desperate blue eyes and glared at him. It was impossible to hide the surprise behind those emotions being there, when there had once been none. Even so, he let condescendence coat his own, barely stable gaze. “Now, don’t make this any harder on us.”

That had the opposite effect of what he wanted, however. As if his words had awakened something in Byleth, the child started grunting, tossing and turning with whatever strength the dark magic hadn’t taken away, or what little had already returned to her. Through it all she noticed that her thoughts had been right before; they were indeed approaching a camp, a mutiny of tents in several colors, sizes and states, a small fire between them and the ones who had been her family before.

The Blade Breakers, who watched that little scene with expressions ranging from surprise and happiness to wonder and anger. Some made to get closer to the daughter and father who were in an unfair fight, but their friends grabbed their arms and kept them there, knowing it was best not to intervene.

Knowing there was no need to, even, since Byleth was too weak to actually be able to get away and take three steps before fainting, no matter how much she tried and wanted to do so. And Jeralt, their chief, the one who had spent the best of all those months drunk and unreasonable, finally had some light and resolve behind his eyes. That was when they knew those days of uncertainty were over and that something new was about to begin.

That maybe they no longer would have to satisfy themselves with small and meaningless thefts, but go back to being the best, most feared group of bandits in the entirety of Fódlan.

Through her struggles and before Byleth lost not to her father’s might but to her own fatigue, despair and sadness, she could hear some people talking about leaving Enbarr, about being back to business and ending that long, unwanted pause. About finally being themselves after one spoiled little girl and her stupid whims had almost ruined everything.

She fell into an uneasy slumber as her mind yelled in protest, her mouth unable to utter any words. She argued that neither she nor Edelgard were spoiled, that they had no idea what was going on, what would happen if they didn’t go back to the castle and save the princess.

Only her dreams witnessed her distress, the sentences she tried hurling at them with the most emotion she had ever expressed in her entire life. Dreams that would soon see her basking in the warm sun of Enbarr, driving her worries away and replacing them with soft giggles and carefree pastry and weapon heists on the stupid adults who surrounded them.

Meanwhile, Jeralt noted her frowns and grimaces, a part of him touched by all the feelings he saw in those gestures, in how she tossed and turned first in his arms, then in the makeshift bed some of the others made with extra blankets and duvets they got from a market a few days ago. The effects of his afternoon drinking spree were completely gone by then and he was able to think freely, to ponder over the impact of those small, wordless moments between them.

His thoughts wandered, unable to settle on one, going from how his child had been transformed by mere months spent in the company of a princess, to everything that she had probably done and seen. How she had gotten an even closer brush with the world around them and one that wasn’t their own, the world of a noble who had been plucked from her home for some reason. Even then, he couldn’t even start trying to figure out what had made Byleth break one of the thieves’ greatest laws and take someone with her like that – one of the royal children, no less.

Though he knew the rest of the Blade Breakers was waiting for him outside, he remained a moment longer with his kid in their tent, one they hadn’t shared for years. He saw her whimper and roll around way too often, muttering nonsense combined with what he thought was that other girl’s name. There was nothing he could do to ease her mind even then, but to sigh in exasperation and hope that it would be gone soon, that she wouldn’t suffer for long.

That Aradia’s spell had been strong enough to keep her under for a while, for as long as it would take for them to leave that accursed city behind.

He rose from the emerald green floor after casting her a last look, already making a mental list of things he would ask her, though he had a feeling he would see a cow flying before she spoke to him after that day. Byleth wasn’t one to hold grudges, but there had been something in her eyes once Jeralt held her that spoke of a desperation, a need to be somewhere else and hatred for being denied so.

The second he did get outside into the increasingly chilly night, huddling into his leather coat and pacing closer to the flames on instinct, he was instantly swarmed by other thieves, those closest to the Eisners and who had watched Jeralt’s despair for the entire time Byleth went missing. They beamed at him, patting his back and shoulder, congratulating him for having the kid back. Asking what they should do next, or how they could celebrate that once the girl was up.

His one response was to shake his head at the mention of festivities, his heart torn at the entire situation. A part of his mind trusted the kid’s better judgement and thought that she had had a very good reason to act as such. Another said he had overestimated her for the longest time and she was just a child, one that shouldn’t have been given such an active position within the Blade Breakers to begin with.

As he sat down by the flames and accepted some roasted meat, his eyes grim and ungrounded, he let his mind meander and knew it would be doing so for a while, until he could have some good answers about that entire thing. For then there was only one thing he knew for sure, which he uttered once everyone else had gathered around him and fallen silent, waiting for his orders as always.

“Once we’re done here and everyone is back, we’re leaving this place.” No matter how downcast and bittersweet he was at the reunion with his daughter, his voice rang true and loud, almost daring anyone to oppose him. None did, and not just because they were fed up with Enbarr to begin with.

“Who are we waiting on?” Markos asked, hands itching to hold on a weapon and actually have a challenging heist for a change. It had been too easy for him and Mila to get whatever they wanted from the scared population – the lack of guards that had returned just a few days ago had meant they were mostly free to do whatever the hell they wanted.

Something that had been good and fun for a while, but easily became boring and had almost tempted him to really terrify the people in there. Luckily Mila had always been the most grounded one of them and already used to keep him in check.

“Well, I sure hope it wasn’t for me.”

The soft voice made them turn and beam, yell their welcome and their praises as Aradia sauntered into the clearing they had claimed as theirs, a hero amongst bandits. Her long black robes whispered against the grass and her wild ginger hair danced in the breeze, her freckled smile placing them further at ease. It wasn’t easy for the mage to look so happy or content with herself, so they took the fact that she was beaming as a sign of very good news.

She didn’t disappoint, telling her own side of the story as soon as she reached the circle that was sitting around the fire, eyes intent upon it, then upon her. Only Jeralt, someone who had known her so well through all those years, was able to see the small edge of unease that was almost completely hidden behind her words.

“I delivered the other child back to the palace, where she should have been to begin with. She is gravely ill and I’m sure the royal family will have enough on their hands now, what with caring for her and hearing what’s happened during all this time.” She paused, letting the others absorb that, glad when the one thing she got back were relieved nods. “I told her to never speak of little Byleth or of whatever she might know about us too, but I don’t think her agreeing to it is enough.

“Meaning that I’m with Jeralt and we should leave this city as soon as we can.” She concluded, looking down, unwilling to elaborate on whatever question her fellow thieves would have for her. In order to shut them down before someone could even ask it though, she added after a sad sigh: “And no, I wasn’t able to get any rewards for returning her. The Empire’s been having some issues with their account and their own politics it seems, so the guy who received me only said thank you and that he would be forever indebted to me.”

“Pf, those words are hollower than his treasure chest, I’m sure.” Mila sneered, scooting closer to the newcomer and enveloping her in a hug. “I’m still glad you’re ok and thanks for locating our Thief Princess too.”

“It was the least I could do, really. She’s like a daughter to me and it was… quite awful to have to fight her.” Aradia’s head hung with actual shame, as the last thing she’d wanted was to wound either of the children or have to resort to her uncanny magic to persuade them. But such was the world they lived in, as she knew very well to be the case.

Jeralt appraised her for one second, how the mage’s hands twined themselves on Mila’s rich blonde hair, a gentleness in her face that wasn’t usually there. It was a sight to behold and probably an omen of better things to come, their louder voices and more festive mood a far cry from how on edge and downcast everyone had been since Byleth had run away.

“How long until my kid’s back to normal again?” He asked, refusing a bottle of spirits that was being passed around. Somehow the thought of drinking in honor of that left a bitter taste in his mouth, something worse than the hangovers which had become his constant through those days.

“I had to charge that spell a little bit more than usual, sorry.” She grimaced, pulling away from Mila and caressing her knuckles. “I’d say five hours or less, since she’s always been very active.”

He nodded, satisfied in a gloomy way. “Good, so go get that wound on your back patched up. Once you’re done, we’re moving.” The loud laughs, cheers and conversation ceased abruptly when those words were registered and too many pairs of eyes turned to scrutinize him. He got up, dusted himself and started moving, his voice almost a whisper when it reached them back: “I can’t stand this place anymore.”

They were tucking tents under their arms and into horses around one hours later, muttering and cursing for the lack of sleep and how Jeralt was being a spoilsport. They should take the night to drink, to celebrate and be merry instead of getting back to the doom and gloom that had followed them like a shadow for too long.

Yet there was no denying or arguing with their leader once he had that set look upon his face and sheen behind his brown irises. It was something they had been missing, but at the same time was a bit too much right then. In any case they obeyed and shut up the moment the man turned around and told them he could hear the sound of them whining like little kids, Byleth securely tucked into his back and Aradia keeping an eye on her.

The forest was still as they traveled through it, almost as still as it had been the night when they had assaulted the palace and everything began. Memories of that time hit them; more and more they thought about how stupid that idea had been, probably the most idiotic one they had had so far.

And how much it had cost them, even though they had gotten enough gold and things to sell that they were probably the richest bandits in the continent by then.

So they were glad to see the palace dwindling in the distance after they crossed the river and went back to the main part of the forest, the one in which Aradia had found Byleth and her friend a few hours ago. Since she was in the back with Mila, no one other than the other woman saw the look of regret which clouded her face, though she remained silent and didn’t say a thing when it was asked of her. It was too complicated and convoluted a story to share in a night like that, when so much had changed and a lot would commence.

The last thing she wanted was to go back to the past, to those beings who called themselves the Agarthans and all they had done to her body and mind, in exchange for her becoming nothing more than a failed experiment, a puppet they could use whenever they saw fit. That was why she had been so keen about them leaving, too – she would be damned if she ended up placing her loved ones at risk if Arundel decided to punish them after all.

It was a quiet trip to the gates of Enbarr, which were again guarded by sleepy soldiers that barely blinked when they moved past them as stealthily as possible. Within fifteen minutes the entire group was on the other side of the gates, their silver glory and the empty promises of a beautiful life behind it.

Jeralt cast it one last glance, wincing as Byleth shivered and muttered something on his back, as if she, too, could feel that they were leaving. Then, he looked out towards the horizon that was stretching in front of them and marched on, heart and mind closed to that part of the Imperial lands.

Silence hung around them while they walked through most of the night, stopping once or twice for water and some food since their feast had been cut short due to their leader’s urgency upon leaving. By then there was some tentative, idle conversation around the others, mostly thoughts about what they would do next, where to go and how to attack after so long lying low.

“We’ll go the way back.” Jeralt said, turning to look at the two that had been whispering about it the most. “Way past the mountains there’s a place called Fort Merceus. I suggest we celebrate being out of this jail by trying to see how much of a fort it really is.”

That humor in his voice, the fake mocking tone, made Aradia, Mila and Markos wince, but then they knew him best of all anyways. The rest of the bandits cheered, more than eager to get back on track and wreak some havoc on those stupid nobles’ houses.

And so it went for the longest time, the sound of their steps soon being obscured by conversation floating around, becoming louder and more boisterous the further they were from the Imperial capital. It didn’t take long for mountains to surround them instead, their tallest peaks covered by silvery snow that reflected the oranges and pinks of the rising sun.

It was somewhere around that time, when the sky was halfway between night and day, a patch of it still dark blue and dotted with listless stars and the other already made lighter by the rising sun, that Jeralt felt something stirring in his back, too early for his own comfort.

And soon enough, the moment that Byleth opened her eyes and saw not the forest, not Manuela’s home or the palace looming behind Enbarr, the city she had grown to enjoy, she stiffened, recalling what had happened and how she had gotten there.

Something rose within her chest, dark, ominous and powerful. It brought a scowl to her face and anger to her mind, turning her limbs into steel instead of flesh and bone. It all happened so fast that she had no time to think better about what she was doing, nor was Jeralt able to stop it.

In one nimble movement Byleth freed herself from her father’s grasp and rolled to the floor, scaring both him and a thief nearby, a recent acquisition that had belonged to a noble house some years ago. Making good on the element of surprise, the child yanked the sword that he was carrying on his belt and darted away, narrowly avoiding Jeralt’s grab, almost tripping on her own two feet with the remnants of stupor and dark magic which still ran through her.

She wouldn’t let those stop her anymore – no, she wouldn’t let anyone stop her anymore, least of all stupid adults that didn’t understand anything.

Byleth dodged all of them before placing some distance between herself and the group, easily sidestepping spells and grabby hands alike in a dance that she had known too well. One that she had lost the night before because of an oversight, but she would no longer fall to such tactics again. 

There were grunts and protests at that, as it was expected. She had noticed how much in a hurry the Blade Breakers had seemed to be at escaping Enbarr, the one place in the world where she wanted to be. Well, they could go ahead and travel through and beyond Fódlan for all that she cared as long as she stayed there, with the girl she had sworn to protect.

However, the real challenge came when Jeralt got his own weapon and chased after her, his skills no longer dulled by the effects of alcohol or grief over the loss of his kid, his one connection to his deceased wife. His longer legs meant that he was running beside her in no time, something that made her mutter words she had heard Manuela say whenever she was upset, turning her body left to the other side in order to use his momentum as a disadvantage.

Yet that was a trick the thieves in general had used way too often in chases – and that her father had taught her too – so it was promptly anticipated and countered. Jeralt maneuvered first and steered in front of her, making her slow down to avoid a collision.

Behind her there was the edge of a mountain, a natural barrier in all of its rocky, timeless beauty. Jeralt was facing her, sword in hand, uncaring that it was his daughter he was practically challenging to a battle. The other thieves were about to block one of her sides, which gave her little to no room to wriggle out of that situation without a fight. Frowning, letting anger run its course and fuel her, she unsheathed the weapon she had stolen and got to an attack position.

It didn’t matter that she was severely outnumbered, she had been in worse situations with the team, ones in which it looked like it had been foolish of them to raid that palace or another given the sheer amount of guards. She would not back down to logistics and reason when the battlefield was a force on its own, one that disregarded such notions and strategies alike.

She saw the surprise that crossed over Jeralt’s eyes the moment she lunged forward, the sword in her hands too big for her but yielded with the same precision that the kid always showed towards everything related to fighting. Resolve drove her motions, her steps and slashes while she brought the blade up and down as fast as she could, managing to nick the man in the arm since his parry was too slow, driving him away a few steps.

That was answered in kind, her father’s speed and skill plain to see on how his weapon was an extension of his arm, the slashes clean, quick and delivered in succession even though he made sure not to connect any of the ones that Byleth was too sluggish to defend, turning his sword away in the last possible second while allowing her to adjust, to keep that going.

They had done this one too many times already; their practice matches and training regimen always involved real weapons instead of dull, wooden ones. Yet this time the ferociousness behind Byleth’s attacks was new, the fury in her irises something that both empowered her moves and clouded her mind. A double-edged sword that more hindered than helped her given the adversary she was facing.

“Drop this right now.” He commanded, winced when one of her forward slashes turned into a side one all of a sudden and hit him, ripping his coat and getting to the skin underneath. “There’s no reason for it.”

“There… is.” She grunted with the effort, stepping away from him just in time to dodge a mean kick that would have made her fall. “Gotta help her.”

He didn’t expect her to say something, what with how unusual it had been for her to voice her thoughts before. Those two sentences, albeit small, carried so much emotion in them that it made him falter, which gave her the necessary opening to step forward, into his personal space, and hit his belly with the blunt end of the weapon. Her emotions, running rampant in a way he had never witnessed before, put enough strength in that move alone that he was the one to stagger, to almost overbalance with the impact.

That was no longer the child he had raised and known for so long. The kid in front of him, barely panting with their fight, unfocused, wild, untamed, had been changed by the world, by what she had seen of it.

By whatever she now thought of as her mission, or her responsibility to fulfil.

“She’s safer there than out with you, or do you think you’d be able to care for a damned princess?” Jeralt sneered, circling her once his words made her cheeks flush in anger. He was well-aware that the other thieves were watching, some of them at the ready to intervene if things went awry.

It was tough to decide if that was a good or a bad thing, especially when the next moment, he spotted Aradia stepping away from Mila and calling magic into her hands, a ball of dark purple energy hovering over her palm and ready.

“She ain’t, tho! Can’t you see?” Byleth yelled, the blunt power infusing her blade also magnifying her voice, to the point it echoed around the mountains as a keening, broken sound that lost definition as it traveled through them. “They’ll hurt her, they’ll do what she don’t want!”

“Kids… don’t know what’s best for them.” He calmly said, though wished he could take back those words when they made his own child look even angrier, her next slash so furious it almost knocked the blade out of his grip. “You probably have no idea what’s really going on in that place to begin with. You’re a thief, Byleth, and that girl was a princess. You could’ve been jailed for that.”

“Whatever. And I know more than you.” She grimaced and danced back once the hilt of his sword hit her ribs, knocking the wind out of her for a second or so. That didn’t stop her from trying to land her next hit, even though everything about that battle, the conversation they were having through pants and heavy breaths, felt wrong.

For once she was out of her element and didn’t know why, anger a sharp mist in her mind that made her unable to predict and avoid more moves, to conserve her energy so she could push when her father had tired or to watch out for the terrain, for how the loose rocks around her or its unevenness could prove an advantage to Jeralt’s sturdy boots and a hindrance to her soft shoes.

In the end a part of her had been sure it wasn’t a battle she could win, that hers and Edelgard’s fate had been sealed the moment she let a spell hit her by surprise and for Aradia to have the upper hand before. When she saw a familiar sphere of dark magic cruising beside her, she dodged it and was met by her father’s blade, too close to her chest for her liking so she had to parry it by surprise. She did a sloppy job of it, her momentum sending her forward so she collapsed against his chest, a strong arm securing her in place for a few seconds.

She cursed and yelled, trying to break free from that iron grip and failing, her chest blossoming in pain not due to an injury, but as it dawned on her that she had lost – and that loss probably meant that she would never, ever see Edelgard again.

Her mind was hazed, adrenaline running through her bloodstream as Jeralt spoke words that meant nothing to her. Yet the moment his hand closed on her wrist and tried to pry the sword out of her hand, she saw a chance and took it, placing everything she got behind a fire spell that surrounded the blade. The man yelped in surprise and let go not only of the weapon, but of her as well, and that was all that she needed to stumble away from them, then run a few more steps before falling due to her own exhaustion.

“We’ll need to keep our eyes on her for a while, I guess.” Aradia said once she eventually reached the girl, pried the weapon out of her slack hands and held her, noticing how much she was panting and how there were some thin lines of blood running down her arms.

“Yeah for sure, can’t have her running away like that all the time.” Markos spit, grimacing. “We’ve been delayed enough as it is.”

“Maybe that girl put her under a spell or something, Ari.” Mila suggested as she stepped closer to Jeralt and offered to heal his wounds. She was surprised by his quiet denial, a subtle shake of the head that warned of emotions being kept at bay.

“I’ll check for that once we stop to rest.” Aradia said, though she had a feeling no magic had been performed on their kid. Guilt flourished through her as she glanced at Byleth’s small, hopeless face, the tears she was trying so hard to suppress. “There, there, I know you worry, but she’ll be fine and so will we. You’ll see, she doesn’t need the likes of us there.”

The kid’s sharp, hateful glare was enough to tell her that she believed those words as much as Aradia herself did.

Quietly, as she let first the woman, then others take her away from the Imperial capital and into other, distant lands, Byleth vowed she would return there one day, that she would find her princess again and then… and then she would keep her word once and for all, no matter what it took.

On the days that passed – as it would be the case once years went by, Byleth Eisner became silent again, a shadow of the child who had wrestled her father and a mage in order to return to the one she had sworn to protect. Yet no matter what the occasion was, whenever her eyes fell upon Jeralt and Aradia there was nothing but sheer hatred behind them, her stoic face marred by that energy and her lack of words to those two people that had made everything worse.

Another morning came to the Enbarr palace, but light wasn’t really allowed into Edelgard’s provisory room as it was. The windows remained draped and her door locked, so no one would try venturing in by the traditional way – nor would she try to get out, something she had done after a few days of her very nasty treatment had gone on and she was feeling a bit stronger.

Most of the time she was barely able to move, to sit up in bed and try doing something other than staring at the ceiling and worrying, letting her mind have the best of her and listen to the growing sounds outside with dread instead of relief.

It had started gradually, one young, familiar voice that broke through the silence that permeated the castle, a dark haze that whispered of gloomier days to come while the little princess laid in bed, dizzy and left wavering after the mages’ visitation. The first time she heard it, she had been forced to take some strange, purplish medicine by one of those people in dark cloaks and pointed masks, whereas another performed a spell or another on her.

She had felt the imprint of white magic before, as Byleth and the performers in the Mittelfrank had attempted to heal her. She recalled some words about how the one thing they would try doing was to lower her fever, thus the reach of their white magic spells was a little low, or limited to controlling some of her symptoms. For that matter, white magic had seemed uplifting, soft and gentle, making her feel more at ease in her own body.

However, what these strange mages had been doing always left her lethargic and drained, as if their powers had taken away something from her instead of trying to improve on her state. If before their visit she had been able to lift her hand or sneak out of bed, afterwards she would be trapped inside her own body for at least one hour, unable to sleep or move an inch while her heart beat too fast and her muscles strained, aching against the loss of her own energy like that.

And in one of those times, when she was too weak to move to the door and make sure she wasn’t just daydreaming or hallucinating, she was pretty sure she heard her youngest brother crying and screaming, protesting the fact that he was being… carried somewhere? She couldn’t tell for sure, the words felt like lead on her muddled mind and she could barely hold on to them, but she was sure she would recognize his reedy voice anywhere in the world.

Yet at that day, whenever it had been, she dismissed it as mere conjecture and the work of a tired body, an overreactive imagination that had nowhere to run to and too much free time to think, too much pain and discomfort to escape from.

And of course her thoughts ran to her last moments with Byleth a little bit too often, almost as if purposefully wanting to torment her with visions of a girl with indigo hair fighting an older mage, protecting her, then falling to the ground due to a spell that wasn’t too different from the magic that was being used on her for healing. The kid sprawled in the grass, reaching a hand for her just as she did, the pain of separation making her heart beat even faster and stronger as tears stung her eyes, trailing helplessly over her face.

To be there, trapped in the palace where she had enough to eat, a good place to sleep and the company of her uncle and his crew of “healers”, then Hubert and her oldest sister’s kind words at night, felt like a torture. She would trade all of that, even the fact that she was slowly getting better, for being back in the woods or in an alley with Byleth and Dorothea.

She wondered if either of the girls would ever remember her, or if their paths would ever cross once more. Determined to not succumb to her own despair, once or twice she had gotten to her feet and done her best to walk to the door, even if she had fallen after two steps, too weak to go on. Luckily that had happened at night, so after a few minutes Marina had gone there as always and helped her back to the mattress with a concerned expression on her face.

Some nights later she had asked about the voice she had heard – and the other ones that had joined what sounded like her little brother as days turned into weeks and time went by faster than she thought it would. Marina had averted her eyes and almost denied her an answer, but by then Edelgard had been strong enough to sit up and hold the woman’s hand, squeezing it for solace and in a silent request of her own.

“Yes, sister… almost all of our siblings are back to the palace. They have slowly been returned to us after you came back.” She whispered, sounding more deflated and worried than relieved, something that wasn’t lost on Edelgard.

“There is more to it, isn’t there?” The younger princess inquired, suppressing the strongest urge to envelop her sister in a hug. Her aquamarine eyes were yelling, silently crying for help. Yet they were dull, as if there was no light in the end of that situation, at least not one she could see.

At least not one that would shine upon them and help them go through that moment without more pain being caused.

“Father is… ill as well. He has not been able to see any of us, aside from me as you know, and having all of his kids nearby has distressed him more than anything else. And it seems that your uncle is doing it on purpose, to break him. Or us.” The future Emperor whispered, downcast. “I… do not know what to do, El. I wish I did. I wish I could comfort you and father too, that I could fight back and drive that usurper back to where he came from. Him and his friends.”

“This is not your fault, Rina.” Edelgard grimaced, feebly edging closer to the woman and indeed hugging her after all. “You have been doing the best you can, but it is hard to push back when your hands are tied.”

“They should not be. I fear what will happen next, now that we are here, as something tells me there is a reason why this is happening.” She mused, trying to not sound as desperate as she felt in front of her sweet little sister. “But what more could they want? Father is no longer the ruler and I have no perspectives of ascending the throne any soon. Arundel has already proclaimed himself the Lord Regent and has all the power he could in his hands – and that of his filthy friends, those traitors.”

Edelgard had no answer to that either and simply held Marina, shushing her the same way that she had been so many times in the past, whispering sweet nothings about everything being fine and the fact that she could be reading too much into that situation. Even if in her mind Marina was right and there was something they were missing, something of importance that would be crucial in the weeks to come.

Yet nothing happened for the next few days. Edelgard continued to receive daily visits from weird mages that would access her physical state before placing open palms over her chest and pushing – no, _pulling_ – energy out of her body, making her nauseous and incapable of moving. Other than that she was stuck in the room with nothing to do, even if she defied orders as soon as she could stand up for longer than three seconds without fainting and started pacing around as a distraction.

Not that it completely helped, as her mind would wander to Byleth, to the siblings she could sometimes hear through the walls and the doors and how scared they always sounded when she did. The fact that she hadn’t been hearing things and wasn’t at that point in time just made everything worse too, her heart leaping inside her chest and making her start drafting a strategy to get out of there again, no matter how tough it would be.

She wouldn’t go down without a fight, just as Byleth hadn’t. Even if that made her hurt even more and take longer to fully heal; she had been sick for so long, she had gotten used to pushing against herself and her limits no matter what.

Through the day she plotted, at night she tried distracting her sister with silly talks and dreams she had had recently, of flying on a pegasi and using magic too, or whatever else she could make out in the nick of time in order to keep that ominous, defeated look from taking over Marina’s eyes.

Once she was gone, Edelgard would get closer to the window and sit on the floor to admire the stars, wondering if her friendly thief was doing the same, or if she even remembered all the times they had looked at the night sky together, musing, dreaming and promising each other better days, better moments and a better life.

In that night the stars had looked extremely bright, the moon hiding in her own shadows since it was a new moon, allowing the stars to shine more than ever and decorate the sky with their designs, their unique etchings. That, and how her strength had been coming back slowly, invited her to lean against the window instead of sitting down on the floor, and on doing so she glanced down and mused on how bad it would be if she attempted to climb down by herself.

Yet it was too dark to see and something told her that the path to the ground would be a long, tiresome one that would result in her demise. She wasn’t that strong and she had never been a good climber to begin with. That was why that idea was immediately denied, though not before she glanced at the forest and was sure she saw some movement around the abundant, dark green foliage.

Sighing and going back to bed after trying the door and finding it locked as always, she fell into a deep sleep, full of dreams in which Byleth would come and rescue her, then ride away with her on a Pegasus or a horse, fighting her uncle and anyone else who stood in their way – even a big white dragon, for some reason.

When she woke up the next day, however, the mage that usually attended her was shaking her awake instead of treating her. He ushered her to her feet, then outside of the room and into the hallway behind the siblings she hadn’t seen for a long time.

There had been some exclamations of surprise once they saw each other, all eleven of them in the same red clothing of the Empire, their hairs in different shades of brown and black, eyes from green, to grey and blue, with only Edelgard’s being lilac. All of them were wide with terror, the younger ones trying to hang on to the eldest but eventually forced to stay in line, another one of the strange mages holding their wrists and keeping them in place.

They marched downstairs until they reached ground floor, through some corridors and on to the throne room after passing too many tall stony pillars, the Imperial banner hanging on them, fancy rugs crumpling under their feet as they were urged forward without a breach for them to escape, a moment for them to breathe or an answer to their myriad questions. Edelgard, for her own self, remained quiet and watched Marina’s tall, proud gait, taking strength on it and emulating that so she could offer the younger boy and girl behind her some support, some hope.

Not that there was anything to be read in the demeanor of the mages that made them parade in front of their father, who was placed to the side of the throne as if he were a lowly peasant asking the Emperor for a favor. In the regal, gold and crimson chair itself stood her uncle, proud, happy, his smile a mockery to their panic and the lack of answers, his pale face maybe a presage of what was to come.

They screamed and wailed, tried reaching for their father with small hands and feet that were put back on the line by other mages that soon appeared and flanked them, making it impossible for them to escape. Magic ran over their palms, sizzling purple light not unlike that which had harmed Byleth an unspoken threat that they knew better than to ignore. Even more so when Marina tried taking one of them down and was attacked by three others, her grunts of pain the only manifestation of her suffering, of her fears coming to life as she was unable to defend her family after all.

Once they were eventually subsided in one way or another, they were forced to march onwards, their cries and sobs echoing no longer around the palace, but on a different structure that was part of it and ominous in its nature, something else they had never even dreamed about.

The helplessness in Ionius’s face, the torches that were lit beside a strange passage the mages opened in the back of the throne before making the children walk into it, were the last rays of light they would see for a long, long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhhhhhhng this chapter was definitely the last in the children's portion of the story and I have to say, it was so fun to write them as kids xD I'll miss that but it's time to move on for sure. Thank you for hanging around that part too!
> 
> But yeah, next chapter will definitely be a little different from the last few ones, as it'll be an interlude showing their lives throughout the years. And then.... Heehee :3 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed it and have a great rest of your week!


	22. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard, Byleth and Dorothea go through their lives in different circumstances and paces, walking through paths that were carved by others and not by them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this chapter is a little different, with some snippets and small scenes that happen through the years that the three are apart. Their ages will tell a bit on how time is passing too.
> 
> Also, just a little CW/TW for blood, minor character death and violence for Edelgard's past.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

The passing of time had once been something sacred to Edelgard. There had been a routine to stick to, the rhythm of meals, lectures, practical lessons for her older siblings and eventually playtime, was hardly ever broken or interrupted. Yes, there were special occasions that became the exception to the rule, such as birthdays, visitations from other, important nobles who requested to see and speak to the children for some reason or another (or their relatives, which were far and plenty given how most of them had had different mothers).

Even so, those escapes from tradition, from the pulse and lull of their daily lives, were far spread apart and something they had actually cherished since it allowed them time to breathe, to be more than Imperial princesses and princes. To be kids, teens, young adults, grandkids and cousins. But no matter what, routine would reestablish itself once said events were over, giving them stability and something to cling to.

After the fateful morning in which the Imperial children had paraded in front of their father and taken underground by mages that made sure they would follow orders or else, there had been nothing of the sorts anymore.

Not just routine, but everything else they had taken for granted or seen as a normal part of life was stripped away from them in nothing but a second, a descent from the light of the throne room to the darkness of the underground.

Apart from Marina, the Hresvelg children had barely been aware that there was a dungeon in the palace to begin with. Although it had seen some use in the past, whenever the Empire had to prove its might and prisoners from conflicts were taken, recently it had remained empty to the point that only the Emperor-to-be had been informed of its existence. And while it would already have been a shock for some of the youngest to realize such places existed – and what was usually done in them as well, how people were treated when put to jail – it had been horrifying to get to see it first-hand as they were forced to do.

The darkness after the first few steps had been taken was already enough to set some of them on edge, to make them scream and whine in protest until a mage in robes that were blacker than the path in front of them, the stony, narrow hallways they could barely make out, threatened to harm them if they kept being fussy.

They were taken aback when the warning proved to be way more than just empty words though, as it was completely disregarded until Edmund, who started throwing a tantrum behind Edelgard, was hit with a fireball to his arm and told to shut up when his shrilly yells turned into sobs.

That was the first testament to the fact that things would change. That their status as Imperial royalty would mean absolutely nothing in a place like those dungeons that they were being ushered into, stumbling half blind in the all-consuming, ominous darkness which was only cut by a small purple flame held by their captors. That life as they had known it was no more – and if their father’s demeanor outside just a few minutes ago meant anything, then there was little to no chance they would be helped.

Edelgard shook her head against the memories which wanted to take her over, ones that spoke about the beginning of that long, unrelenting nightmare. Daydreaming would be better than staying anchored to that reality, given how her entire body pulsed in pain, how gashes old and new stung in different ways and she was almost too weak to move, too hopeless to even try. Regardless, thinking about the past was becoming more and more of a burden instead of the release it had brought her at first.

When not so many days and weeks had passed. When the children had had some notion of time that wasn’t marked by how many of their siblings still remained, how many were gone and how much more they would be able to take before succumbing as well.

On how many wounds were inflicted on their bodies, or how many times they had pleaded their case to a Goddess that seemed unable to reach them – or uncaring to do so.

Hope was, at that moment, a far, forgotten thing. Just like that name that had been on her mind during the first time she saw her older siblings getting taken away from the cell they shared, a small, square space with no windows, no benches, nothing but shackles attached to their wrists and the rocky walls. The only source of light was a torch that stood outside, one that was only lit when some of their captors came in their hideous masks, long black robes and raspy, fearful voices.

Their mere presence was enough to swallow that light, to obliterate it and bring forward panic, old, unhealed wounds flaring into life as if they had been inflicted anew even before they pressed a blade to the children’s bodies. That was the power of fright which was brought by the inevitability of the kids’ encounters with those strange beings who wielded magic while trying to redo science.

Who broke the kids' faith in a world where people were good, their childlike innocence and beliefs in a good day, a perfect future. A bright tomorrow that no longer existed, a lovely yesterday that was erased from their minds once pain, blood and tears became their only companions.

Edelgard wasn’t the first to be tested by the mages, remaining in the cell with her younger siblings while the oldest were taken out of their chains, subdued with spells when they had been strong and hopeful enough to fight back despite the knowledge that they could and would be punished by such acts. Maybe because of that she had gotten to know better than any of her siblings about what was being done to them – and not only to them, as they soon found out, but several other children who were also brought there for the same purpose.

The captors called their procedures “experiments”, as Marina told them the first time she returned for a long day spent with those creatures. They had gaped at the state she was in, the blood that trickled from so many wounds, the ire in her otherwise calm aquamarine eyes. Marina, who had always been their hope, their safe haven, their stronghold. Always so collected and still, never one to yell or raise her voice, but imposed her will and strength with her eyes alone.

Marina, who at each passing day became weaker and weaker, first losing her determination to fight and find a way to get them out of there, then the use of her body once she had no more energy to move, to thrash against the shackles that dug into her wrists. Then her words, which at first had been soothing before becoming angry, despaired, derisive, anguished, lost.

When she breathed her last, her dark brown hair matted by dirt and knots, it was as if the mages had taken not only their oldest sister, but all hope and light away from the Imperial children.

And so it went on, with more and more so-called scientists arriving one day and getting their hands on other kids. Their cries rising in intensity from the feared laboratory room, only to be echoed by the cold, narrow hallways, by the cell in which others waited their turn, inside their hearts as fear took over and blossomed, becoming the only sensation that ran through them.

Waiting was as bad as being a subject to those tests, something that the older siblings soon got to find out. They were barely done mourning their conditions, the loss of the future Emperor that they had looked up to and admired for all of their lives, when other deaths followed that first one.

Some succumbed to the wounds, unhealed and infectious. Others to madness, the slow but sure descent into that hellish existence that seemed to wait for all of them at some point or another. However, after what Edelgard and the remaining kids presumed weeks or even months, the yells for help, the cries of despair, the sobs in the night were silenced.

Tears ran their silent course until they thought they had no more to shed. Voices broke when words of solace became nothing but empty promises, as hollow and untrue as their previous beliefs about a Goddess that watched over all. Their will to get out of there and avenge their fallen siblings was but a distant dream in a multitude of nightmares, of days and nights spent shivering, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep or to have some respite from it all.

Edelgard was no different. Her mental cries for the one who had protected her before, the endless stream of “Byleth” that she would either think or whisper to herself into the darkness of her new reality eventually faded into nothingness when it became her turn to be an experiment. By the time she was first taken away from the cell, she had already forgotten their incredible days together, the warm laughter that had trailed after them in summer, the coziness of Manuela’s house in autumn. The only thing that lingered was the uncertainty, the silence of winter, of that long winter which had seemed to take her over from inside out.

When they tore into her body for the first time with blades and spells, there were already no tears to be wept, no resistance in her to fight against the pain, the dizziness, the blood loss. There was no name in her lips, no memory of her beloved guardian, the girl with indigo hair and cornflower blue eyes that had guided her through a world she had been unfamiliar with.

There was nothing but sadness and suffering, which were augmented by their procedures, their unending experiments and “surgeries” which took too long and were too inhumane to be even called that, the company of nothing but rats afterwards that would try and bite her limbs. Her mental numbness grew when her body became too much, the pain unbearable to be dealt with as it mixed with the death of her youngest siblings, of the ones closer to her own age.

Until she was the only one to remain at that cell, after time had become nothing but a streak of cries, of growing aches, the number of instances when her stomach would go empty only to be tricked by some food they gave her so she would live another day. Some of the so-called food was actually laced with something to help their research, causing her even more suffering when her body rejected the substance.

Minutes were counted by the times she wondered when it would end and she, too, would be allowed the gift of eternal rest. The same cell that had once been too small when occupied by eleven children, now too big for its sole member and the rats that scurried about, more than glad to terrorize her with their presence alone.

There were few things she could recall before that torment had even began – or… had she been born into it? How was the palace above her, the lands that stretched around it? How did she even know they weren’t in a village, in a house, underneath a graveyard instead? Hadn’t she and her siblings been… royalty? But if that was the case, why had no one gone after them?

Why had they been left alone to suffer and die, the Emperor-to-be the first to meet that end and then the others as well? Some with hair tainted by white instead of the usual browns and blacks, their eyes vacant where once there had been light. Why was she being punished, abandoned, forced to feel so much by a body that was too stubborn and refused to give up?

Too many doubts, too many thoughts, but thinking was all she could do in that place where no light reached, where she looked at the roof and saw no stars to hope and wish on, and only cold surrounded her. Cold, and the phantom memories of her siblings who more than likely clung to her after their departure.

She wanted to go. She wanted to be with them, to get away from there. To escape the pain that day’s experiments had caused her, the deep gash over her heart throbbing even if it could no longer bleed. The myriad other cuts in her arms, legs, torso, hands answering in equal ache. Her wrists and neck burning against their constraints, the only things keeping her sitting upright instead of allowing her to lie down, as she had no more energy to move or keep herself in any position by herself.

And in that moment in time, as she stared at the empty wall in front of her, she felt something stirring inside of her small body, something that seemed to consume and claim her whole. It hurt in a different way than the rest, the image of purple flames not unlike the ones brandished by those accursed mages coming to mind.

That ominous fire moved and coiled in her blood, taking over and twisting it to what others wanted it to become instead of what it had been before. It hurt, and through that all Edelgard was sure she was about to go, that her body had finally understood that wasn’t a battle it could win. That she was a few minutes away from returning to the ones that had accompanied her through life.

For the first time in months Edelgard smiled, letting go of the last tear she could shed. It was finally over, it would soon be finally over. She would be free just as her siblings had freed themselves from this world a long while ago.

She closed her eyes and felt something warm for the first time in months – or had it been years? Did it even matter? It was over anyways and all she had to do was to stop thinking and fighting, stop clinging to an existence that had been doomed by those figures in black robes and hoods.

After a few more minutes she fell asleep with a small smile on her lips, a foreign name on her tongue and the crown of her head slowly changing from brown to silvery white. A second before slumber took her over, however, purple flames settled over her skin and broke the shackles keeping her stuck to the wall, letting her lie down on the cold, stony floor.

“Byleth,” she whispered as if the word meant something safe, something she had once clung to as now she clung to the floor for support. Then, and only then, did her mind and body succumb to sleep.

The next time she woke up it was to the sound of steps echoing closer, like it always happened whenever they arrived to take her for another bout of experiments. For some reason she found her wrists, legs and neck unshackled, but she lacked the strength to move or shift positions alone. The floor, cold and unwelcome, dug into her small body, adding more pain to what already ached, that had been throbbing in pain for who knew how long.

Yet for once she wasn’t cold, not completely so at the very least, and an ethereal sort of warmth touched her skin, seemed to come from somewhere inside of her. Her heart was beating as fast as it usually did when those people approached her, the same nervous, anticipatory trembling that took her over also showing up once the steps became louder, closer, creeping up on the small pocket of silence she had carved up for herself after days and weeks of thrashing in the loudness of her thoughts.

She expected she would be punished the moment they realized she had somehow managed the break free from her constraints, something she didn’t remember doing. Not even her stronger, broader siblings had been able to bend the metal and get out; there was no explanation to why she had done so.

When the familiar, ominous purple flames got to the torch outside and spilled into her cell, she huddled on herself to try – and fail – to look smaller, inconspicuous. Not that it would accomplish anything and she should know better than to waste energy in such a fashion, but even so.

“Hm? What do we have here?” A first raspy voice echoed around her, menacing and gleeful at the same time. Edelgard was sure they had finally realized something was different, that she had done what she shouldn’t have. Her fear rose as a response, taking over what little emotion she still had given how dazed she felt most of the time.

A screech cut into her thoughts, the same that always sounded when the cell door was open, successfully masking a whimper that made its way out of her mouth despite her trying her best to keep herself quiet. Usually she succeeded, either because she had been forced to learn to stay in control of herself at all time or watch her family suffer the consequences (when her siblings had been there) or because there was nothing left in her to actually make a sound.

She had fallen asleep thinking it would be the end of her. To be alive, breathing the stale, heavy, chilly and muddled air of the dungeon was as unnerving as having those people getting closer and closer to her, their robes whispering against the floor and boots hammering the stones in which she lay.

Someone was standing over her, probably watching and waiting, trying to see what she was about to do next. No matter how weak and tired Edelgard felt, her breath still hitched up at the idea of being scrutinized, of the agony that would come next when the experiments began anew and she was subjected to some form of payment for defying them and breaking her chains.

Surprisingly, the hands that curled around her torso and lifted her up were caring instead of hurtful or angry.

Edelgard gasped when she was turned around and faced by one of those people, their masked faces too close for comfort and making her panic increase once more. Usually they would have punished her already, calling her names and reassuring her that she was nothing more than their guinea pig, one that was taking too long to show any kind of results. That maybe she wasn’t even good enough to fail the procedure to begin with for some reason or another.

That she was just a stone in their shoes, something slowing down their progress instead of helping the future, their science, their views for the world at large. That she was just like that stupid kid they had tested a few years ago, a Lysithea or another that would surely be dead anytime soon.

Maybe she would be kind enough and join the other girl, plus her siblings, anytime soon.

What she received instead in that nondescript morning, afternoon, evening or night, was a triumphant smile that chilled her to the bone and made her wriggle in the arms of the one who was holding her for appraisal.

“Behold, our future draws near!” They exclaimed after facing the others that had gone alongside them to the cage.

The cheers that accompanied that were scarier than being left alone, cold, hungry and empty in the darkness that had surrounded her for too long.

Time passed as a string of long, meaningless days, morning, afternoon, evening and night turning into one another as if nothing really mattered to Byleth. To an extent it didn’t, not after the first few days in which she had tried escaping from that hell, from the prison she had once called home.

From the family that now seemed hellbent on keeping her away from her charge, from Enbarr, from the Empire itself.

After her first attempt to run away, Jeralt had deemed it better to keep her bond, hands and feet tied as she rode in front of his own horse, with Aradia on a cart or with whoever they trusted to subdue her if she ever found a way of getting out of those constraints by herself. Some would say they were overreacting, that she was just a kid who had misbehaved once and didn’t deserve all of that attention. That for the first time in her life she had acted like a kid throwing a temper tantrum (while in the possession of a sword, it was true, and it had been a very skilled tantrum as well) but neither Jeralt, nor Aradia, nor most of the Blade Breakers who knew about the kid’s strength would heed such words.

It didn’t keep her from trying, however, her memories and dreams about Edelgard too starkly clear in her mind for her to abandon her goals just because the bandits left Imperial lands as soon as they could – with a promise to not be back there any sooner, or never if possible.

Byleth would conserve her energy while riding with someone, then wait until they became distracted as adults were prone to do at some point in time. Then she would swerve too far to the side, falling from the horse, carriage or whatever and hop as fast as she could, mindless of the chuckles that followed her and the fact that she was always captured before she could hide.

Then one day she woke up with the sureness that there was a better way to go about it. That was when she found out she could break the rope that was restraining her if she focused on a certain way. One that made eerie purple flames respond to her call and lend her enough strength to tear through them as if they were made of paper. She kept the knowledge to herself during waking hours, deciding it would be better if she were to try slipping out of camp at night.

By then they were past the mountain side that surrounded the entirety of the Morgaine Ravine and had made their way up to Merceus, where there was a fort they were rather hesitant to raid, despite Jeralt's words about taking it before. They didn’t know if the entire Empire wasn’t in high alert after everything that happened in Enbarr and the last thing they wanted was to take more foolish chances and getting caught. Which was also exactly why they were mainly keeping out of Hresvelg territory and steering sideways until they reached the border in Hrym.

That was the plan, one they had stuck to the moment Jeralt had uttered it with a side, meaningful glance thrown Byleth’s way. She had reacted to the Hresvelg name, as any kid that expressed normal emotions would.

The thing was, that was not something Byleth had done before. During those first few days she had been acting more and more like the kid her father had wanted to raise alongside Sitri: a child that sometimes had bad feelings she couldn’t understand or deal with, but as time went by would learn how to do so.

Despite how stoic and firm he was with her, asserting orders and making sure she stayed in line, that didn’t mean he wasn’t sad at seeing the way things were going. How she was suffering for the friend she had had to leave behind. How her eyes would go to the sky and latch on to the stars on most of the nights whereas similar, if not brighter, brilliance stood in her blue irises.

How there were so many emotions in the kid that had barely shown them that constellations would be too small to express or guard them, to write about them in the darkened sky.

Byleth would look at the stars and keep doing that until she fell asleep, as if searching for something high up there that she could no longer have in the earth below. Sometimes, although she tried hiding them, there would be ghosts of tears in the corner of her eyes, the longing and fear so warm and passionate, Jeralt was left feeling something warm and searing in his own chest as a response. More often than not she was silent for the entire day, content to quietly glare at her captors. 

Or, if she were being particularly talkative for some reason, she would utter small, nonsensical words.

One of them was “Eldegard”. The other was “insowfferable.”

In any case, on the day she discovered her different power, one that had never manifested before, she did her best to fool those who stood guard outside of her tent into believing she was sound asleep. Everyone was antsy with the fact that they were still only escaping the Empire instead of stopping here and there for some heists – they had passed some nice, huge mansions and were kept from stealing them by a grumpy, inflexible Jeralt who just wanted to get the hell out of those lands.

While his motivations were clear, valid and understood by the entire crew, that didn’t mean the thieves weren't frustrated with that hindrance. They had been sent away from monumental places and the promises they held for the last few months while looking for Byleth, to the point they couldn’t wait to get back on track and actually be the thieves they were meant to. It wasn’t as if their stocks were dwindling, they actually needed some money or new weapons to begin with, but that was what they did, what had brought them together into a family as well.

And they really needed to do it soon, or else the frustration in their minds would ebb into something more, probably something violent and dumb that would call attention to themselves as well.

Byleth had been hearing the protests, talks about going out on their own in groups or pairs just to scout in the huge mansions they had passed on their way to Aegir territory. It would be easy for them to go and return completely unnoticed, especially if Jeralt was drunk – something that, surprisingly, hadn’t happened ever since they got Byleth back. The hard part would be actually sneaking out and hiding whatever amazingness they would get from said places, or at least that was what the two people in front of her tent were saying that night, while the kid lay under some blankets and made her breathing as slow as she could afford it to be.

“We’re wasting our time here, truly.” One of them said, a woman Byleth had never seen before and was more likely a new acquisition during their time in Enbarr. “She’s not gonna do anything all tied up like that.”

Her voice, her accent or something about her tone in general made something in the kid’s chest clench in pain, at how it bore some similarity to Edelgard’s own way of pronouncing words.

“For real, we are.” The other one answered after a long sigh, a man this time. Both shifted over the grass, uncomfortable and weary. “What do you say we go back to the house we saw that way?”

“It wasn’t that big of a place though, do you think it’ll be worth it?” There was some unease in her voice, as she would rather go big or not bother at all, but even so. “I mean, of course I won’t tell if you don’t but yeah.”

“Think I saw a nice horse there and those smaller houses always have some weapon or another. My sword’s been getting rusty.” He got to his feet with a grunt, one born out of boredom and stiffness from sitting down for a long time. “C’mon, this little brat won’t go anywhere anyways.”

They were keen to move and go away after that, both discussing what to do and how to go about their new, impromptu heist. Byleth couldn’t help but smile at that, then count in her head for some minutes before trying to focus on the new power she had discovered earlier that morning, when her body had been laced with an unfamiliar strength that made her able to crack the binds around her wrists a little.

It took a while for her to channel that again, but when she did she widened her eyes and let that energy, those flames course through her, take her over and allow her to completely rip the cord on both her wrists and ankles with one sole movement. She took a moment to look around the tent, to listen to the still world outside her, then break into a light run with silent steps.

In the beginning everything was fine. She easily passed the tents on her way to the small woods in which they had taken camp, ones that would later open into vast green fields, mountains looming in the back. Mountains that separated her from the Hresvelg territory and –

The yelp that left her throat the second a spell hit her wasn’t loud enough to alert anyone of her position, but it did make her stumble and fall due to the similarity of that situation and the one that had ended up with her and Edelgard getting separated. She wanted to think she had learned better than to stand up against Aradia like that though, so Byleth remained on the ground and waited until the mage got closer, her robes swishing and dancing against the grassy floor.

“I don’t blame you, little one, but in any case, you can’t –“

She lashed out with a kick, one that connected on the woman’s torso and sent her reeling. It was enough to grant her an opportunity to run, to place some distance between them. However, dark magic did slowly take its toll on her so that eventually she was bested and taken back to Aradia’s own tent this time, so she could be placed under better surveillance.

It wouldn’t be the last time Byleth lashed out against her own family no matter how far away they were from Imperial lands. She barely spoke to them and the moment they were back into doing their heists, it was as if the thrill of battle was the only way in which her emotions would be able to find release.

Her ruthless fighting style when combined with the anger and fury she felt and showed at Jeralt and Aradia, made both give her a wide berth. They theorized that given time she would get over it, get over the girl she had been forced to leave behind and stop being so opposed to their sheer presence.

While they were right about one thing, about the fact that gradually Byleth did forget Edelgard, her name, her mannerisms, their amazing days under the Enbarr sun, she clung to her rage against those who had once been a family to her. If she had been a child of few words before, she became one of no words then, especially when either her father or the mage chose to address her.

Nevertheless, her eyes would always turn towards the stars, no matter how many weeks or months passed by. They would admire their pale gleam, the promises and words that she could almost hear being whispered to her. Yet they spoke a language that perhaps she had been fluent at before but could no longer understand, the meaning behind their light completely foreign to her. At times, a foolish part of her mind would wonder if someone else would be looking at them too.

And if someone were to mention that once upon a time she had run with a princess, she would first tilt her head, then shake it and wonder how much alcohol that person had had. It would be absurd to think that she had ever done something like that to begin with. What child thief would get her hands on a princess and just go away?

* * *

“Lady Edelgard, your uncle has requested your presence in the dining hall this afternoon. As such, your lessons will take place earlier today.”

Hubert’s voice was soft, cutting through the big bedroom and shaking her awake, dispelling the remnants of sleep from the girl’s mind. She stirred under the heavy, silken sheets and willed herself to get up despite the heaviness that was always on her limbs, the weariness and the cold that had taken root on her body after those experiments were performed on her.

No matter how much it hurt, her face remained impassive, unchanged, a skill she had acquired back at the dungeons that still haunted her through nightmares, as they had on that night.

To say she hadn’t known the meaning of a proper slumber ever since before the day she and her now deceased siblings had been taken down there would be an understatement.

At the tender age of eleven she had learned that her emotions, what she had desired and what once had been her plans for the future didn’t matter at all, not when those had to be discarded since something new was placed on her shoulders, a burden she had never desired to begin with.

“Of course.” Edelgard simply said, getting up and not even shivering once her feet hit the chilly marble floor. No matter how cold it was in the world, she always felt like it was still warmer than the ice which ran through her body, the one that had taken hold of her even if the so-called Crest of Flames now resided in her body as well.

At first everything seemed to be good, as if on that particular day she wouldn’t have a bad morning after a long night filled with terrors and the many hours in which she had spent awake. However, the second she took a step toward her vanity, one of the few objects in the vast, circular room that had been given to her in the myriad empty ones in the castle, her knees buckled and she almost fell to the floor, gasping in surprise at the sudden weakness.

If it hadn't been for Hubert reaching forward in the exact moment that he did, used as he already was to such occurrences over the last few months, she would have stayed on the ground for some seconds before she was able to move again.

That was the least of the issues she had gotten after her time spent underneath Enbarr, where there had been no stars to see and nothing to hope for.

Where there had been no light to watch the changes happening to her, especially the one that had been noted with joy by the mages in a nondescript day, when she had thought she was about to die and join her siblings, the other kids that had also perished in the scientists’ hands.

The same, major transformation that she now stared at with disgust every single morning once she looked at the mirror, the snow-white hair that framed her face instead of the rich brown that had once been there. The brown that would symbolize the happier, innocent years of her life, which had promptly been forgotten once pain and suffering took over.

As the years were taken away from her, so did the hair that she had loved and the comfort of sleep. The ease of childish dreams and hopes for the future. The laughter that had followed her when she and her siblings had darted through the palace after lessons were over – or… had it been after breakfast? She could no longer recall it, though the sight of their faces contorted in pain, the sounds of their screams as they pleaded for mercy and the whisper of their last breaths once their bodies became devoid of light and life were as stark clear as if she had heard them a second ago.

In a sense she had, in those nightmares that wouldn't give her peace.

Likewise, her own semblance of control was only limited to herself, to stopping emotions and sensations from showing up whenever she was faced by her uncle and those strange allies who surrounded them, who watched her like hawks and made sure she was completely prepared to become the Emperor that they desired. No word she said had any power, nor would it have once she was given the throne her father, sickly, old Ionius, could no longer occupy.

They had made that clear from moment one. That she was nothing but their weapon, their puppet, their ticket for the life that they deserved to have back. She had nodded, unsurprised, already expecting something like that to come from them even though her mind and heart had rebelled against those words.

But then, at eleven years old she was no longer a child. She was the future Emperor of Adrestia, the only survivor of a calamity that ended up costing her siblings’ lives and her father’s vitality. The necessary move to actually consolidate Arundel’s dominion over the territory and the palace itself, what with how infested with mages it was.

Some of them had been more than happy to mock and demean Edelgard during the first days in which she had been back to the surface, too weak to even seat up by herself, eat or move. They had done daily scans on her back then in order to determine the viability of the results they had gotten with her, sometimes drawing blood or hurting her anew in some way or another, trying to provoke a reaction, something she could neither understand nor control on her own at first.

Until one day she did it, more out of annoyance for the pain they were causing her than anything else, purple flames surrounding her entire body as for once in the last few years she felt strong instead of weak. Strong enough to ward them away, to twist the arms that restrained her and kept her prisoner even while aboveground.

No more, she had said in that morning, vowing to never let anyone get the best of her, to undermine her in any possible way.

A promise she reminded herself in the moment she and Hubert left her quarters at last, once her hideous shock of white hair was deemed appropriate, now let loose over her shoulders instead of the pigtails that had accompanied her through childhood, and she had made sure she could walk without stumbling again. It wouldn’t do if she were to appear weak in front of her uncle, the first person that saw her after she was taken back from the dungeons and into a world where, although there was light and warmth, darkness and cold could also rule.

He had also been the one who had smiled at the sight of her, bloodied, hurt, white-haired, scared and alone.

She had vowed to not forget that, nor those first few days of pain and suffering and tears in the dark. Tears she still spilled whenever no one was looking or listening. Yet in the bright light of the sun or candles once it was night, she would remain stoic, cold, detached. An adult in a child’s body some would say, often the ones that hadn’t been there before, praising her control over herself, the way in which she had mourned her sibling’s death when a proper, public ritual was made.

And how she had seemed to take on the mantle of becoming the next Emperor with nothing but grace and respect for the people of Adrestia, who would soon enough count on her. Inside, in the recesses of a mind that quietly kept replaying the horrors she had seen and endured not so long ago, she decided she would use the flames she had been given to ward off everything that was making this world corrupted, useless, so prone to hurt those who it saw as expendable.

So prone to burden some, ignore others and completely shun those who were unworthy in some way. To see crests as more than people and revere them as much as the accursed Goddess who supposedly had blessed mankind with them.

Such had been the case with a girl who was barely older than her, someone that had offered her a hand once she was around Enbarr with no one but Arundel by her side. Still weakened by all that had been done to her while having to keep the composure of a proper princess, Edelgard was actually ashamed and guilty when her legs had all but given up on her in the middle of the street.

As expected, her uncle and some invitee of his had shaken their heads and mocked her into getting up, continuing their paths while she lay there in tears, unwilling to move under the merciless summer heat and the languid feeling that had taken her over. It had been a tiresome day for her already, as they had just left the place where ten white caskets had been mourned and placed underneath the ground. Keeping herself from despairing had already drained Edelgard's energies - having to walk back through the city because Arundel wanted to show it around to his friend was the last straw. 

So she had stayed there, chest constructed, tears rising to her eyes while her mind despaired at the possibility of never being able to walk again, until a tall girl with kind pink eyes spoke to her, offering her a hand. The teen wore rags for clothes and her skin was stained, but the light in her eyes and how tenderly she held the princess after El had been unable to get up with that help had shone brighter than everything else. 

Not only was that the first time someone had shown her real care after her return to the surface, but something about the girl's voice had seemed familiar, evoking a safe sensation within Edelgard. So when Arundel had turned back and almost killed the teenager for holding the Imperial princess like that, Edelgard spoke out for her and managed to land her a place in the palace as a personal helper. 

Which was a delight to young Ladislava, who had lost her job a few days ago for eating a little more than her meager share due to how hungry she was, the innkeeper tossing her to the street without a second thought.

If the Seiros faith that Fódlan adored (and she herself had once believed in) hearkened to a Goddess that fell deaf to the pleas of children dying in the streets or underneath the earth in a dungeon, or to sow inequality and let useless nobles thrive while working individuals perished, then Edelgard saw no reason to believe in her anymore. Or to make alliances with the accursed church that reigned supreme over the continent.

What she had gone through, what had left too many marks on her body, mind and soul, would not be repeated on anyone else. What others like Ladislava and Emile (a boy she had rescued from execution after the weight of his past became too big to bear) had suffered in their own ways shouldn't be real, shouldn't be allowed. Shouldn't be kept as right or natural.

That was why in that particular day, once her uncle saluted her with a grimace and asked her to stop limping instead of walking or hold a cup with more grace than that (which was hard given the new thick gloves she had to use, or the scars in her hand that burned from time to time), she was more than happy to listen and accept his proposition to undermine the church of Seiros once she was Emperor.

Even more so once she was told of the atrocities that had been done to the people of Fódlan, how the faith had manipulated true history and fit it to their own devices, to make humans fear what they had undermined once. And sure, she wasn’t one to believe a word that left Lord Arundel’s mouth, but some research and a few talks with her father later that day, her body almost collapsing at the top of the stairs to Ionius’s room, and she discovered that most of what had been said wasn’t a lie.

At eleven years of age, while looking at the night sky, the forest that sometimes ululated even if there was barely no wind in winter, she had decided after a particularly gruesome nightmare that she didn’t care anymore about what would be of her life. Or how hard it would be to actually accomplish that goal.

As the stars shone over her head, soothing in their myriad lights and the small pang in her chest that was always there whenever she turned to glance at them – for some reason left unknown and, in her view, undeserving of investigation anyways – she vowed she would do everything in her power to make sure the world to come would be better than the one she lived in.

Even if that could cost her own life.

* * *

Dorothea Arnault led a life that both suited and disgusted her. She had no other words to define it, to summarize the rivulet of feelings that coursed through her body and heart every time she stopped to think about it, about the way things had been going thus far in her fourteen years of age.

The morning light sifted through the window in her spacious bedroom, the one she had eventually claimed for herself in Manuela’s house after years of aimlessly switching between three quarters for some reason or another, something she had forgotten as years went by. As performances in and outside of the Mittlefrank started running into one another and she could no longer differentiate a night of shows from the last.

A noble that she kissed in order to feel something instead of the coldness which had seemed to take residence in her heart, from the last that had given her flowers and promises of an amazing ever after. Surely some noble or the others had given her the sun-shaped pendant that she used as a good luck charm and a weird notebook with childish scribbles that she sometimes read when things were rough, but she couldn't recall who it had been.

But that was how life had progressed as years passed and she kept singing at the opera company, her lilting voice developing and shaping into something either warm and enchanting or cold and piercing depending on what was required of her character at the moment. Or, outside the stage, depending on what was required of her in each and every second.

She turned to face the door of her room, watching as the early summer sun already glared inside the house, announcing with it a new day of work at the Mittelfrank, one in which they would do some tryouts for characters in the next piece that would be rehearsed for the season to come. The last one had been a blast with Dorothea and Manuela in the leading roles, singing side by side in harmony and enchanting the members of the audience while dressed as peasants-turned-queens from different territories which had been at war for too long, only to find peace in their unexpected reign.

And now… well, she had heard something or another about Stephen deciding to revisit an old classic and have them perform the story of the legendary kingdom of Nohr instead of Hoshido, as they had done many years ago. According to him that had been Thea’s first appearance on the stage and she had interpreted Elise while Manuela had played Corrin, two princesses and sisters of sorts that had to face each other at some point in time.

He said she and her guardian had made the entire audience stand and clap while wiping tears away from their eyes, a feat that he had seen few singers achieve and even less so if they were children.

When Dorothea looked at him quizzically, then informed that she had no recollection of such things, he had seemed astounded and taken aback, almost offended that she would not remember the first play she had done in the Opera House even if several others had indeed followed that.

There was something else in his gaze and expression when she had uttered such words, something that escaped his usually set demeanor no matter how many years of acting he had claimed to do. While she had caught upon it and felt a dark, deep longing stir inside her heart in response, she had neither capitalized on it nor asked for specifics. It had been a long day all things considered and the only thought in her mind was to get to her bed, to forget everything and the stupid, flirtatious note she had gotten that night after a really good performance.

That piece of paper had been delivered to her dressing room as it always happened, once she and Manuela had gotten there in order to retrieve their clothes and remove the excess makeup on their faces. They had been very tired, almost exhausted due to how demanding it was to play those two queens and their dynamics, how their solos were nothing short of extraordinary and made people want to talk to them after the show was over.

They had just extricated themselves from two nobles that had had some thoughts about how they could better spend the night, with Manuela more than eager to remove their hands from Dorothea and keep a protective stance around the teenage girl.

“That’s the thing I hate the most about this, honey.” The woman had said once the couple had walked away, not the tiniest bit annoyed since she had promised them she and Dorothea would be available at another night. “Something I wish I could shield you from.”

“Those people think they own us.” Dorothea spat once they entered their dressing room, used as they were on sharing it. Whenever either of them turned on the candles with a flicker of their wrists, she was hit with the feeling that she would be able to see the afterimage of a small girl huddling on a chair, covered with furs. She never asked about it, sure she was just too tired and had heard one too many ghost stories from when they hung out with the rest of the cast. “Their attitude is just… as if we were obliged to bear with them no matter what they say or do.”

“It makes me sick that they do this to you when you’re still so young.” Manuela huffed, removing her heels and doing the same to the red cape that adorned her shoulders. One that was so heavy, it was always a delight to finally be able to take it off. She approached the young songstress and held her hands, squeezing them. “Please darling, never fall prey to their whims and empty words, you deserve way more than this.”

_ Do I,  _ Dorothea mentally queried, but knew well enough that neither of them had the energy to deal with that particular trail of thoughts. Hence she simply smiled and agreed with a bow, both gestures so seemingly genuine that the woman relented, knowing she had already repeated that point enough times to make sure her charge understood that.

Even so, she caressed her hands one more time for reassurance before going away and placing the heavy tiara on their vanity –

Which was exactly the reason why she was the one to see the little folded note in neat calligraphy by the side of the mirror, the one addressed to her charge.

“Oh, it seems like there is something here for you.” Manuela picked it up dismissively and passed it on without reading, a habit they had developed out of companionship and respect.

Their relationship had stayed the same loving, wholesome one as the years went by, with one helping, cherishing and supporting the other while Dorothea grew to be an amazing singer and person at least in Manuela’s eyes.

And while they did keep their secrets, with the woman pursuing the healing arts more and more after what had happened with the two kids that had escaped from her grasp and the young girl hiding a sorrow she wasn’t willing to admit to or to recall what had caused it, they still lived together as a family of their own. As a result, they could read each other’s emotions with ease and care even when words weren’t spoken.

So when Manuela heard Dorothea gasp in a mixture of surprise and annoyance she turned around at once and went to her, then wordlessly plucked the paper from her hands and set it aside, the girl’s face twisted in a mixture of anger and heartfelt sadness.

“Thea honey what’s wrong? What – what did it say, if you want to tell me about it?” The woman asked, approaching her charge and clutching her to her chest in a reflexive motion, one born from many days and nights holding her in the same way. Once a princess and a thief had walked out of their lives forever.

Manuela had even kept away one piece of jarring, terrible news that had traveled through Enbarr, one that spoke about the deaths of all the Imperial kids save a girl whose name wasn’t really announced. Although by the time this happened she was convinced Dorothea wasn’t acting but had actually forgotten her two childhood friends, she would rather be safe than sorry and not trigger an emotional reaction from her.

Likewise, she had asked both cast and crew to stay silent about Byleth and Edelgard, to pretend they had never been there at all.

To see such a forlorn expression in Dorothea’s face made Manuela wonder if the note had something or the other relating to those girls, though the part of her mind that had sustained such doubts was soon laid to rest when the little songstress opened her mouth and said in a warbling tone:

“This… this prick I – I got close to him because I had a feeling he…” She stopped, allowed tears to run their course and fall down her cheeks in whatever succession they needed to. “And I did get some confirmation that he – he actually was-“

“My dear, you have to speak a little bit clearer or else I won’t be able to help you in any way.” The woman said, then shushed her as if she were a little girl that had just come from the streets again, weaving her hands through the rich strands of dark brown hair. “I can wait until you are ready, though.”

“N- no, I… this  _ idiot,  _ good-for-nothing noble thought I- I was getting closer to him for romantic reasons or something.” Dorothea said through hiccups, her small frame buried in the hug, arms holding onto Manuela with as much strength as she could use in that moment. “And the one thing I was… trying to make him speak about was about his past. And it took a – a while but finally, yesterday night when we were out for dinner together he… he admitted to having a kid and a wife that he kicked out cause they were- completely useless, crestless and stupid.

“I- Manuela, my own  _ father  _ sent me a love note.”

The words, tears and sobs were left to echo around the room for a few moments, with the woman clutching her closer in a speechless manner. What else was there to say or do after a revelation like that? She couldn’t think on what to do, didn't know how to react to that, what would be the right words to put Dorothea on an easier state of mind.

So they clung to one another, solacing without the need for all the beautiful words they would sing and proclaim while on the stage, nor the ones they would utter to others who deserved neither their attention or time.

That had been one week ago, Dorothea remembered as she finally got out of bed, at first frowning at the memory and how it still made her shake. She then beamed to herself when she remembered how good it was to have Manuela beside her, the woman who had taken care of her for so long, offering her a house, her love, her warmth, her knowledge of both singing technique and magic, everything that she could give to her.

Manuela, who had saved her from so many awful nobles that meant danger from the moment they had placed prodding, devouring eyes upon her. Who had told her to not give in to the words, the false love and everything else that could accompany those people and their antics.

For the first time in a while Dorothea wasn’t feeling that bad about how things were, about how her life had gone so far since it had put her in the position she was in right then. The widest beam came over her face, coloring her lips with the happiness that colored her mind, one that had nothing to do with her time at the stage, her income and the life she and Manuela had made for themselves so far.

She burst into the hallway after that, a flurry of motion when usually she was a lot slower and sluggish to leave the bed itself, let alone her quarters in such spirits. She felt giddy, as if she were a little girl again and ready to burst into song for no reason other than the fact that she had a nice supportive person in her life like that.

“Manuela!” She said in a singsong voice, let it carry through the corridor and into the rooms, waiting until it was answered as per usual.

However, the second there was no response for too long she gave up on it and decided it would be better to spring into action instead. She scoured the study room first, as it had gotten more and more usual for Manuela to be there overnight as she kept revising until it was almost dawn. When it turned out that there was no one there and also very few books on the shelves, she did a double take and wondered if she was still asleep, dreaming of a better life or something.

“Manuela?” She yelled again, unsure of what to do next, why the woman wasn’t talking to her at all. Yes, Manuela was known for making up such surprises here and there but not like that, not without giving her at least one giggle or the likes to let her know everything was fine.

There was nothing of the sorts then, not even when she checked the other four bedrooms before going into the one that Manuela slept in when she didn’t fall into a deep slumber in the middle of studying. By the time she did approach the only door left for her to check her heart was hammering due to a strange sort of intuition, hands trembling and breath speeding up in tandem with her feelings, the thoughts that raced and asked her what was going on, why the house seemed so strange and devoid of life.

When her fingers closed around the doorknob and she eventually found the courage to push it open, she almost fell to the ground with the view that met her.

There were none of the usual decorations around the room, the medical books that had often stood in the small table beside the mattress, which was made as if it had never been slept on for days. The bracelets and charms that could always be seen beside the mattress were gone as well. For the first time forever she could see the floor in the room instead of the many clothing items that usually hid and lined it, what with how late Manuela sometimes was after oversleeping.

The second the first sob left her mouth, as if she already knew that Manuela was nowhere to be found within the house, her eyes fell to the bed and noticed for the first time that there was a piece of paper in there, one with her name on it scribbled in the pretty calligraphy of her guardian.

Five minutes later she was lying in the bed and crying in abandon, sobs leaving her chest in succession at the thought that she had been left alone once more in her life. That she hadn’t been enough, that the woman had instead chosen a life without her because she wasn’t enough. Because she was nobody, despite of everything the long, warm letter said, praising her to high heavens and letting her know there was nothing wrong with her.

Yet Dorothea knew how false those words were – she had seen Manuela sweet talk others every single day of her life more or less. And the weight of that knowledge, alongside the pain of being all by herself right then, made her cry for the longest time that she could remember in her entire life.

* * *

Byleth was seventeen the first time she set foot near the Imperial palace again, carried there more by a whim than anything else. For some reason she had told the Blade Breakers she was going on a solo mission to scout Arundel, as there were rumors that the region had been without proper supervision or protection for a few years, ever since the noble responsible for those lands had moved to Enbarr and claimed for himself the title of Lord Regent.

The others had regarded her in adoration, the way they had started doing every single day after she beat her father three times in a row with different weapons. Asserting her supremacy through duel was not something she had thought she would have to do – but then, she hadn’t cared about it when Jeralt reminded him of a promise he had made to her around three years ago.

It had been something along the lines of her earning her independence from him, Aradia and the rest of the thieves the moment she was able to beat him in single combat at least three times in a row. She couldn’t recall specifics back then, nor the reason that had taken her to training twice or three times as hard as she had done before, her resolve fierce as she mastered each and every weapon that the Blade Breakers knew how to yield.

The only one she had steered away from was the strange brand of magic that a certain woman used, something that made her snarl at Aradia whenever the mage as much as stepped close to her.

The teen thought about it as she meandered through a forest beside the palace, one that she seemed to know somewhat well. She wasn’t one to keep mulling over matters in general, much less if they were something out of her comprehension or things she couldn’t solve with a weapon or two. That didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in why she had lied to begin with, her trip from Rome to Arundel being just a slight detour on her way to Enbarr, into Hresvelg territory.

Hresvelg… the name itself had made ripples of anticipation run through her body, down her back, then up again until it pooled on her chest, made something in it ache in a way that had never happened before. She could neither understand why nor say if it was a good or a bad feeling, her mind far afield as she had taken in the sights around her, the sprawling grey city to her left and nothing but more woods to her right, the palace getting closer and closer as she approached it.

Somehow everything in the woods themselves felt familiar to her, her feet knowing when to avoid exposed tree roots or bushes of tall grass that could be hiding an animal or two. She turned right and left on some parts, as if already sure of where she would find open trails and easier paths to traverse.

As if she had been there before more than once, or had stayed in that place for enough time in order for her to learn some intricacies of it.

Nevertheless, the moment her eyes met the tall castle walls, Byleth had to glance around herself to make sure the rest of the Blade Breakers weren’t there as well. Her being alone was somewhat of a surprise, even more so that she had taken that trip to a rather isolated part of the continent by herself, without any real excuse to justify that.

But there was no denying the sense of peace that she got when she stood behind the one large, ancient tree that dared to stand the closest to the palace grounds and simply stared at the entire structure, the turrets and towers which decorated it. The silver stone that was probably the same which was used to make the entirety of Enbarr, the windows that showed nothing but a dark interior, to the point that Byleth would have asked herself if the building wasn’t devoid of people if it weren’t for the many guards she could hear talking, laughing and fooling around on the inside.

Funny enough, a part of her wished she was there with them, that she had made more preparations and had enough ammunition to completely overthrow those guards, raid the castle and return with even more goods than she had gotten on her brief stay in Arundel lands.

Given the quiet that surrounded her, how still and yet turbulent her entire self was while letting her eyes run through the building in front of her, she realized the visit had been worth it. Her mind was keen to war with that notion, to try reminding her of something precious, something that had been lost to time, to sadness and a long streak of days that she had spent where she shouldn’t be.

Days that she had spent kept away from something that was calling to her even then, though she didn’t know what it was or why that was happening.

Her vision cleared and her mind stopped spinning when a figure became half visible on one of the windows she had been looking at just a few seconds ago. Byleth froze, allowed only her eyes to glance up and take stock of exactly what she was seeing.

Unfortunately, the lack of light coming from indoors didn’t let her completely discern the one that had taken a seat beside the window, then leaned her head outside to stare at the sky above. That person did seem to be a girl, her silver hair travelling down her shoulders and almost touching the building underneath her.

Although she was small and slight, there was something in her expression that made Byleth do a double take, her feet whispering against the grassy floor and making the girl look down at the forest for just one second, as if she had heard that diminutive sound. Even then her face was set, a mixture of anger, sadness, despair and conviction amalgamating there in a way that was enchanting to behold, that made the thief wonder and want to know more about the person and her story.

They stayed like that for a rather long while, to the point that Byleth started noticing how tired and weak the girl looked, especially when she leaned her entire body against the window and closed her eyes, but seemed to will herself to stay up for a moment longer before going indoors again.

The last gaze she gave to the outside world had swept under the stars and above the treetops of the woods, but it had unmistakably seemed to focus on the spot that the thief had occupied for what felt like a rather long while.

After that, and as if she had gotten what she wanted in some way, Byleth made her way back to Rome with nothing but the sack she had taken from her family when moving out. Only this time it was full of gold, in the same way her shoulders were covered with furs and fancy coats instead of the cheap leather and used clothes she had been wearing before.

Hopefully she could make up a story, find some way to convince the Blade Breakers on why it had taken her so long to return. But even if they didn’t believe her it wasn't as if any of them could stop her any longer, least of all Jeralt, whom she hadn’t exchanged a word with for years. Whenever she looked at him rage burned in her chest and she was filled with the strangest wish to run away and never come back.

The thought made her stop in the middle of the woods when she was halfway to the gates of Enbarr, her mind considering that it really was an alternative. She didn’t ever need to make up an explanation or another for her delays if she never returned to begin with.

However, she was a thief first and foremost. While Byleth knew that her prowess with pretty much every weapon meant she would have no trouble convincing people to join her and start her own band of merry rogues, she lacked both the motivation and the need to do either. Moreover, although it wouldn’t be a problem for her to stay on her own and never join the Blade Breakers again, that meant she would have to resort to pettier heists instead of the grandiose, organized ones she and the others were more prone to do.

There was nothing like getting through a high noble’s defenses, showing them how awful their guards and soldiers were, then stealing to their hearts’ content while said lord or lady watched in dismay, counting bodies on the floor and, more importantly, the gold they were already losing.

With that in mind and the fact that she knew she would have been able to raid the Enbarr palace if she had someone else to cover for her, Byleth shrugged and made her way back to Rome, already missing the sense of peace and quiet that she had gotten while looking at the building – plus the extra sensation, the fluttering in her belly, when that girl had gone to the window.

In the years to come Byleth would find an excuse or another to go back to Hresvelg lands, then Enbarr itself whenever she had the chance since apparently her band of thieves was deeply afraid of that place. And in all occasions she would wait until that girl appeared on her window to stare at the night sky, an act that had apparently become a habit and never seemed to fail, no matter how much time passed.

In each and all of those times she would admire the flames in her eyes, the determination that was dulled, yet not erased by sadness, sometimes by a terror so deep and strong she wanted to get there and give the girl a hug - though she wasn’t one for things like that.

Until one fateful night, when Byleth was twenty-one and had pretty much her own followers inside the Blade Breakers, that she went there and was met not with the silver-haired girl and her sighs in the window, but with a carriage leaving in the beginning of the night.

It always took a few minutes for her uncle to notice Edelgard’s presence – or to end up whatever make-believe scenario in which he would be so entranced in his own work that she was nothing but another shadow falling over the table. She had her reasons to think that was pretty much how he and his allies, the mages that had granted her unwanted power, perceived humanity at large, an idea that had scared her younger self once she had accepted their request of warring against the church.

Now, after countless years of being subjected to their wills, of all the changes that had happened to the books she was allowed access to and the ones used in her lectures, she counted herself just as cold and uninterested in that fact as those beings were amongst humans, scattered around Fódlan as well.

“Yes, my dear niece? As you can see I have quite the pile of documents to deal with right now, so I would appreciate it if you were quick about what brought you here.” He said a second later, hands still scribbling at the parchment, white quill flying over it.

“A task that I could assist you with, if you so desired.” She pressed again just in case, more out of curiosity than real politeness. Although she had received the best education possible when it came to politics, to her upcoming role as Emperor, she had never been allowed within meetings where the Lord Regent and his ministers would discuss matters of state. Nor had she ever seen what her uncle wrote and read so much, day after day.

Regardless of the case, the Hresvelg line hadn’t written a royal seal of approval or a letter regarding political affairs ever since the fateful day, now nine years ago, when she and her siblings had been taken down to the dungeons, then turned into experiments until only one of them returned.

Recalling those days, the power they had had over not only them, but the Empire as a whole in what was known as the Insurrection of the Seven and what had been done to them, made Edelgard muse if her own plans would ever come to fruition, or if she and Hubert weren’t wasting their times trying to turn things to their advantage.

There was no way they couldn’t see how much she would rather never talk to any of them again.

“While as always I do appreciate the gesture, there is no need for you to concern yourself with such things.” He retorted in the same fashion, a game they had gotten used to playing after all the time in which he had been at the palace, claiming it as his new residence. “But do go on, what may I help you with instead?”

“There is nothing of the sorts, uncle. I simply came to remind you that my departure for the Garreg Mach monastery will take place tomorrow night.” She informed him, allowing the smallest tinge of happiness to color her voice.

Yes, that had been in their plans too. Edelgard would become a student to the esteemed Officers Academy in order to not only grant them safe passage when the time was right, but to be as close as possible with their common enemy, the church of Seiros itself. In the meantime she would be able to spy, learn something more than what her tutors had managed to teach a weakened girl who had had trouble not falling asleep through lectures and maybe press old allies into joining her side, preparing the grand stage for the war to commence.

And after that… the dominion of the Adrestian Empire, under the puppet leadership of Edelgard von Hresvelg, the Flame Emperor who had long ago been shackled to those who slither in the dark, would begin anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How to make ten years pass in one chapter xD well it was something to write this, but I can assure you guys that this is the end of this angst (not that there won't be others later on of course hehe). This was one of the chapters that made me set the rating of this fic to E, but even so there's no need to keep things tooooooo graphic, right? That's why Edelgard is mostly remembering things.
> 
> I hope the age thing (and the lines) was enough to help with the entire notion that years were passing - I contemplated putting up dates and the likes before each setting, but still. Let me know what you think
> 
> Next chapter we have... Garreg Mach! And that's all I'll say on that matter xD  
> Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great rest of your week!


	23. Skirmish at Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last weeks of Imperial Year 1179 bring promises of change. Byleth and the Blade Breakers go after a place which is rumored to be full of riches for those who find it, only to return empty handed as the woman feels the call to go back to their base in Remire.
> 
> Meanwhile lectures are about to start in the Officers Academy, with some people thinking it's not the first time they have seen each other. 
> 
> A mission involving the three house leaders takes a different turn than what was expected at first.

Byleth’s eyes swept through the vast open lands somewhere in the distance, the rocky formation underneath her feet in tones of crimson and brown as the sun slanted at it, at the cliff she stood at and the smaller ones around it. If she squinted a little she would be able to spot the sea, a shining turquoise color that separated Fódlan from Albinea.

That wasn’t what had interested her or had made the Blade Breakers go to that part of the continent, the elusive Brionac Plateau that was one of the northernmost points of the Adrestian Empire. While she couldn’t understand why being again in Imperial lands had made Byleth feel something stirring inside of her, she shrugged it off as her merely reacting to the other thieves’ excitement at searching for something that had apparently been destroyed in a war or another.

Because if their leads on the subject were correct, there was the chance they were very close to Nuvelle lands and all the riches they had in stock, be it rare plants that sold for a lot if one knew who to offer them to or all the preciosities that an abandoned place and its houses could still have.

Not all of the Blade Breakers had gone there, though Jeralt had been almost too keen on telling Byleth to stay behind and take care of things on their bases, either back in Rome or Remire. When he had told her that she simply turned around, got a better sword than the one she usually carried around, some supplies that would be necessary for the trip and joined the fray that was about to leave for the main scouting and reconnoitering mission.

That had been around four days ago, with them stopping on a few villages on the way to get more things for their trip the old-fashioned way. No matter how small a settlement, there was always one or more houses that stood up from the others – those were the places they would pillage, with Byleth having to off the owners who tried too hard to resist and ended staying on her way. Not that she had any qualms about it, but she saw the way some members of her team did because of the matter-of-fact approach she kept to such things.

Meanwhile, the rest of the people who lived in such locations and weren't attacked would give them a wide berth, almost offering them the things they had at home once they saw the bandits burying their former officer, knight or small noble. It was even worse when they looked at Byleth, their leader for that excursion and whenever Jeralt wasn’t present, and saw how vacant, how eerie her cornflower blue eyes were.

In the end the Blade Breakers would give them back those unwanted offerings, especially if they had come from the poor. Sometimes they would share some of their own resources as well, an action that made the townspeople more confused than trusting of those that were just passing by with their sights on something more.

Something that had been brushed by many as nothing but legends since there were few indications that the Nuvelle house had existed, given how little it mingled with the outside world – even with the rest of the Imperial houses, or at least that was what they had heard.

Byleth stepped away from the cliff and turned back to the field over the plateau, where the others that had taken up the call to go search for that new place to plunder were taking a rest. There was Aradia and her partner Mila, who had gotten together throughout the years and been a couple ever since. Then Markos, Mila’s twin brother who always went whenever she did, the silent companionship between them something that had marked Byleth’s life as a Blade Breaker. And the twenty or so bandits, some of whom had been there for a very long time, others that had joined in the last few years as their lives changed for the worse and Jeralt had rescued them.

For some reason that she couldn’t really name, whenever her father sheltered a stranger going through hard times her chest would flutter and ache, her eyes narrow to slits and her hands close into fists. While it wasn’t as if she talked to the man since his mere presence was enough to make her want to put some distance between them, those times always made the sensation worse.

She had long ago given up looking for an explanation as she lay in her tent, a house they had taken from its rightful owners or under the starlit sky in the middle of a mission, the grass underneath her and the cold wind trying to whisper her secrets she couldn’t understand. Maybe they all had the answer, the memories of her past that seemed so convoluted she could barely remember what she had done one year ago, let alone eight or ten.

Somehow she was sure that things had changed at a certain point, but that was just a notion that she didn’t really care to entertain. When one was a thief, being practical would more than likely mean achieving success. The Blade Breakers hadn’t become famous in all of Fódlan because they had stopped to think about such issues to begin with. She hadn’t been called Ashen Demon for the last five years because of that.

At twenty-one Byleth had a reputation of her own even amongst the bandits. Some, those who had seemed to have been there forever (either that or they had shown up one day in that past she couldn’t recall) and treated her with some familiarity, were also wise enough to give her space when she was fighting. Others, the ones who had recently joined, simply stared at her wide-eyed, stayed away from her when she was practicing by herself (or with some fool who put themselves in her blade’s way) and would rather deal with her father than with someone who usually didn’t speak and had stoic, emotionless eyes.

It didn’t mean that she wasn’t heard, obeyed or respected, but that respect did mostly come from a mixture of fear and reverence for her unique abilities, her sense for the flow of battle and her mastery of most if not all weapons, some magic too. Such was the case when she returned to where the others were sharing some food, sitting or lying down on the hard stony floor and passing bread, leathered flasks and fruit. She shook her head when Aradia offered her some and pointed to the right, a silent indication of where they should go next.

It took a while but they responded, getting to their feet with stretches and yawns. It was a beautiful morning all things considered, a bit warm for the Lone Moon even though winter had passed and spring was about to come. But then they had spent a very long while in Alliance lands recently after a nice, long season in the Kingdom that had started when the so-called Tragedy of Duscur had sent their nobles into disarray. Though the Blade Breakers knew little of what the incident had been about back then, four years ago, they had made use of the confusion to plunder some of the lesser houses up north, then fled to the Alliance in order to hide.

Their return to Imperial lands had been recent, or so Byleth thought anyways since Jeralt had always seemed somewhat doubtful about going back to that part of the territory. It had taken Aradia, Mila and Markos telling him that it would be ok, that it had literally been a decade anyways and nothing would happen this time.

For the life of her she couldn’t understand why they had shot her strange, accessing glances from time to time, which she could feel even while doing her usual sword practice and pretending to be oblivious to it.

With a shake of her head she dismissed those thoughts and focused on climbing down. They had gotten up the plateau last night, as it was a much safer place to stay than the forest underneath since there were no villages around those parts. They had seen some strange knights going around that area too and Byleth would rather steer clean from them if possible. It wasn’t that she thought the Blade Breakers wouldn’t be able to win against them, but the certainty that they would; the knights would then be reported missing and found dead sooner or later, which could lead back to them and the Nuvelle lands they had been searching for.

After around half an hour everyone else was down, with the mages having to use some Wind spell or another to place some of their friends who weren’t really good at climbing back on the floor. They shrugged off the pain from their scratched hands and stared to the right, to the end of the rocky path and the edge of the forest they had come from last night, then straight ahead to the path they would follow next.

This time it was an empty road that greeted them, loose rocks rolling when they kicked or stepped over them, no knight or other human being to be seen in those parts of the land. To their right there was an open field that would eventually lead to a beach, the glittering sea and Albinea. To their left, the forest that had taken them to the plateau to begin with etched the rather dull, grey land with greens and browns.

There were no marks of horses on that path between tall grass and taller trees, at least not in the initial parts of it. Byleth would find some later as it started getting darker and they decided that long, uneventful day of marching should come to an end, which happened the moment they returned to the woods for shelter.

Whenever she laid down on a forest ground to rest at night, no matter where she was, a part of her mind would say there was something missing and that she should look at the stars, search for some words or promises there. However, since that was neither the first nor the last time her mind would whisper of such things, she simply shrugged, turned to the side and got comfortable enough to sleep.

Those days in which they marched also marked the end of the year, the last week of the Lone Moon offering an ending to the harsh winter and sweet promises of the spring to come. That at least was what others said, what some of her people prayed for when, some nights later, they kneeled and whispered to a Goddess she couldn’t recall hearing about.

As it always happened, Aradia held some ritual or another by lighting a circle with fire magic, then burning away the old while waiting for the winds of change to blow, bringing in the new. Some of the Blade Breakers would watch that with awe, even more so when the mage used some of her different, exquisite magic to turn the flames purple for effect.

Yet every time she did that Byleth would feel like hitting her, rage rising in her chest and making her hiss, turn away and go out for a run, for a mission she had just made up in her head. If anyone else showed up in front of her by mistake or just because she happened to get in their way, it was almost a given fact she would hurt them without meaning to.

Everything surrounding both Aradia and her father ended up having that effect on her, though she had no idea on the reason why. She had decided at some point or another that they had done something to her, something that she had yet to forgive – and it didn’t seem likely that she would. But her thoughts stopped right there, without neither the drive nor curiosity to explore the issue any further.

Almost as if she knew delving into it would bring forth a memory so painful, her reaction would become a summer storm in winter, a snowstorm in the middle of summer.

This time, as she went for her usual run since Aradia was up to her rituals again, she let it steer, her mind and body relaxing at the thought of being away from it all, from Jeralt and now the mage - while also having her under her command. Aradia somehow never questioned her decisions, her caramel eyes usually avoiding Byleth’s gaze and looking sheepish in a sense. As if she, too, knew a bit too much.

And as always, before Byleth could ponder if it would be interesting to pursue such thoughts, she had already laid down after her run and found herself in a deep slumber in some part of the forest, her dreams foggy and revolving around three little girls playing at the streets of a city she had never seen before.

Edelgard woke up to the sounds of birds chirping, to cats growling in frustration about not being able to catch them, to steps and voices coming from underneath her window. Some were calm and others harried, worrying about what would happen to them if the dishes they were supposed to make weren't done on time.

However peaceful that entire setting was, her heart still hammered at her chest, unshed tears burned her eyes and her hands were balled into fists around the thin sheet that covered her, the same ones she cast aside in panic once her mind found them too constricting in some way or another.

 _I am not there anymore,_ she thought to herself, allowing her eyes to focus on the simple grey ceiling, the candelabra with its ululating flames that she kept on even while going to sleep – if she ever got to sleep at all to begin with.

Behind her eyes, in the shadows of her own mind, the terrors of her childhood still clawed at her in the form of nightmares that made her spend one too many nights completely awake, engaging in some reading or form of distraction in order to keep those thoughts at bay. Not that it ever worked – the moment she was too tired to keep on going or had the smallest hope that studying politics and weapon usage would make her dream with something different, those night terrors crept back and smothered her in their grasp.

She wondered if they would ever stop, or if she would die before knowing once more what the word respite meant.

If dreams were a gateway to memories, as hers were proving to be, she wished that at least once she would be able to remember the nicer days too. The ones that had preceded the moment in which she and her siblings had been taken down to the dungeon and everything else had happened there. The ones in which they had played in the courtyards and gardens, as Hubert had told her time and time again that they had.

She would already count herself lucky if there was one variation to her dreams at any given night.

There wasn’t enough light coming from the small window behind her, over the desk where she kept some of the drawing materials she had sneaked into her wooden chest when moving to Garreg Mach a few days ago. When the cold winds had made many other students complain, the last of snow setting a beautiful, white mantle on the Oghma mountains while spring slowly returned with the increase in birdsong and hours of daylight.

And no matter how recent her moving had been, it already made Edelgard feel as if she had finally found some peace.

That thought and the idea of going for the new year festivities which would take place in the last day of the Lone Moon made her beam, her heartbeat and breathing eventually slowing down enough for her to move and get out of bed at last.

The afterimage of her nightmares, of her siblings crying and herself screaming, was etched into her mind as much as it was into her skin, in the several marks that she saw in the excruciating seconds it took for her to swap her nightgown into a dress that reached her knees, a red one with black shoulder pads, details embroidered in gold and black at the hems, sleeves and torso, a short crimson cape fluttering behind it. Then came the black stockings and the long boots that hid the outrageous marks on her legs; finally, the dark gloves which hugged her hands, the gashes that had never truly healed under a gentle touch.

But then, was her body the only one that hadn’t healed?

The question had been posed the moment the carriage with the Imperial coat of armors had left Edelgard at the front gates of the Garreg Mach monastery and she saw herself surrounded by others her own age. Although she had known some of them by name and a few by sight – the ones that had attended the outrageous balls her uncle had thrown in favor of her birthdays, or to celebrate the new year and find her a suitor – that was still a novelty to her.

She had smiled and greeted them, nobles and commoners, in a similar fashion. She had bowed to archbishop Rhea as it had been expected of her, then attended the reception dinner (though it was as stiff and stupid as some of those celebrations back at Enbarr) with Hubert by her side, then Ferdinand von Aegir, Linhardt von Hevring, Petra Mcneary and Caspar von Bergliez - someone whom she hadn’t met even though she had seen plenty of his father at the palace, conniving with Arundel almost as often as Hubert's and Ferdinand's fathers had.

There were others that would also belong to her house, the Black Eagles, but were either still arriving or couldn’t be coaxed out of their room. Even so she had mingled, talked to them and tried her best to be a pleasant company, to learn more about their likes and dislikes. To make sure they weren’t like their parents or that they could be trusted to aid her in the future she wanted to create.

Edelgard stopped in her tracks as she recalled what had shocked her the most on that night, something that she had yet to understand after some days had passed. And that was how, the moment a brunette with long, curly hair and piercing emerald eyes had walked into the room, the princess felt a bubbly, almost childish happiness coursing through her veins, making an equally beautiful and innocent smile appear at her lips.

Funny enough, when the newcomer had set eyes upon El herself there was first a moment in which she had just smiles as well. Only for it to be quickly replaced by confusion, anger, sadness and then a cold, pleasant expression that bordered on politeness and nothing else.

The same expression had stayed on the princess’s face through the rest of the night as she talked with everyone else but that girl – Dorothea Arnault, she had learned later – while navigating the reception hall that had been turned into a grand dining room, with some food on the tables that had been put to the sides, soothing music and all those kids who were buzzing around, excited for the year to start.

If only they knew everything that was going on underneath their very noses, that had been set into motion almost an entire decade before them going to the monastery…

“Is something the matter, Lady Edelgard?”

She turned to face Hubert with a stoic expression, the flicker of her eye the one indication that her mind had been far afield, pondering on all the new changes to her environment, what the future held in store for them.

How the past was still clinging to her no matter how many kilometers she had placed between her and the Enbarr palace, everything it represented and the memories it had stolen from her.

“Nothing at all.” Her reply was received with a nod, though the way his eyes wandered over her face and demeanor told her he had other thoughts about the entire matter. “Have you gotten any report back from them?”

That was a mere distraction of course, as he also knew. They were meandering past the greenhouse by then and Edelgard had to smile for a second as she took in the vast blue sky and some of the clouds that traveled through it, framed by tall turrets and brick walls that tried calling to a deity that had long ago forsaken humans to their own designs.

Even so, even if the history behind the Garreg Mach monastery and all the ideas it stood for was one of domination, of ascertaining power and making sure some got to dictate what was best for all of Fódlan, she couldn’t help but admit that it did give her some peace. Not due to its religious aspect, as she had stopped believing in those fables way before her father and uncle had told her the truth behind them.

But there was beauty in it, in the neat order of tasks that they could already see workers going through, from gathering ingredients to making food and placing it in front of students that would either thank them, or simply look at the plate with disdain. The wyverns and pegasi that floated around the entire monastery grounds, assuring that the place was safe and there were no threats coming from in or outside. There was always someone from the church or Officers Academy going around with piles and piles of papers, books or documents in their hands, their hurry to get places and do their own work reminding the princess of messengers bolting through the palace like that.

Although their classes were yet to start and they had been given a week before the new year to arrive, socialize and get better used to their environment, the sense of security and routine that already came from the monastery and its dynamics was enough to ease Edelgard’s mind. Even more so after her first night, when she had been haunted by the same nightmares she had gotten in the palace, a surprise since she had thought they would stop the moment she was away from home.

Rather, it had been even worse to wake up to a room that was very different from her own, as for a moment she didn’t know where she was and her mind had made the rather small quarters look like the cell she and her siblings had been in. Since she hadn’t kept the candles up the darkness was too much and almost had her reeling, panicking while awake as much as she knew she did while asleep.

That was why it was good to have a sense of resolve, to get ready for not only the beginning of classes, but also for the war that she would lead, one that was as hers as it was the slithers’ (a name Hubert had called them for years). As much as she was the future Emperor – and that alone should have already made her forsake thoughts of leading a normal life, even more so after what was done to her family – there was a part of her that was cheerful, that was looking forward to lectures that she had already heard, to learn how to fight and to lead her class so they could be the best of the three houses.

She chuckled to herself, sitting down at one of the long tables once they got to the dining hall and saluting some of her classmates who were already there for food. While it would be foolish of her to pretend the emotional impact of being around others her own age was null, it also wasn’t wise for that to be so important it made her heart flutter at the mere thought of what the school year would bring.

There was a chance the entire place would be either destroyed or turned into a military base since it was right in the center of Fódlan – ignoring its value for sentimentality would be not only dumb, but completely out of question.

Yes, the best thing she could do was not get too attached or else run the risk of being without a home again.

Her gaze strayed out of the stained glass windows that cast blue, green and pinkish lights inside the dining hall and focused on the food on her plate as she started eating. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t look outside once every ten seconds, captivated by the sheer beauty of it all. She had sat facing the fishing spot instead of the Reception Hall ahead and marveled at how early sunlight would reflect off the water, making it seem silvery, peaceful and still, a contrast against the yellow, almost golden sky that could be seen over it, the mountains looming behind at some point or another.

As Edelgard bit into the bread and fruits, those tastes already marking the beginning of each and every day with their offer of hospitality and stability, she decided she would allow some silly emotions to take over and become stronger than the knowledge of what would come in some months. It wasn’t as if some reward or respite wouldn’t be welcome, as she had spent too long being forged into the perfect weapon, then the perfect Emperor to go with the strange powers she had been granted.

So much so that at times it was hard to recall that she was also a girl, one that had every right to wonder and get excited with the novelty of having classes on the best school in the continent.

“Princess Edelgard?” The voice almost scared her out of another reverie, yet she stayed put and simply turned around to glance at who had addressed her, face set in a silent question.

“Oh, you must be prince Dimitri of Faerghus.” She replied once her eyes fell into a tall man with broad shoulders, electric blue eyes that smiled at her with the required politeness of all nobles, and short blond hair to his chin. Etiquette had her standing up so they could bow at one another, two future leaders of their own nations meeting at once. “A pleasure to see that you have joined the Officers Academy as well.”

“Oh wait, _you_ are a prince and _you_ are a princess?” Another voice said and something about it put Edelgard on edge before she could see who it belonged to. Though it wouldn’t take a genius to understand that question had been made in jest.

The boy that joined them, arms crossed behind his head and a cheeky grin on his face, had a set expression on his emerald eyes that seemed at odds with his tousled hair and what appeared to be a laid-back attitude. He didn’t bow to them nor did he show any other sign of deference even after the other two did.

“Claude von Riegan, future Duke of the Leicester Alliance I presume.” El stated, unruffled by his lack of manners even if Dimitri stared at him with a taken aback expression. “So this shall be an interesting year at the monastery, it seems.”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun to be around your princelinesses all year long and learn from your superior ways.” At last he bowed, but of course the act was as much of a mockery as his words had been – and for the first time, that act had managed to get a rise out of the other nobles too. “What, I’m serious about it.”

“Whatever you say, but hopefully all of that bravado will die down once we face each other on the battlefield.” Dimitri’s smile was confident, as if he already knew he would be the winner if there was ever a fight between them. “Not that I should mind it either way since it is your call… Your Dukeliness.”

Maybe Dimitri had thought this was either going to intimidate or make the other man laugh, though he was doubly fooled regardless. Something that was shown when that comment was followed by two sets of winces and shakes of the head.

“Ha! I accept your challenge – both of yours.” He added after smirking at the princess, who scowled in response. “Aw c’mon Your Highness, you don’t wanna spoil the fun like that right? I do think we should have some sort of bet on who will come first, second and third in the upcoming mock battle.”

They had been informed yesterday that the Houses would have their first official checkup (not a test, as those would be run by the professors individually later on, but an actual opportunity for the church to better evaluate them) on the end of the Great Tree Moon. Although some had frowned and protested at that, especially Linhardt and a pink-haired girl named Hilda who seemed too much of a sloth to be in Garreg Mach all things considered, most were already looking forward to the opportunity to prove their worth on the field, to make sure their classmates and professors knew how amazing they were.

It would be an interesting thing for Edelgard though, as she would have to keep in mind that her second crest shouldn’t be activated at all during those fights and training sessions. Back in Enbarr she had gone through a training regimen that was developed and approved by the slithers themselves. One that emphasized not only combat, dodging and stamina, something she had lacked ever since the experiments were done on her, with many things like running around a field leaving her breathless and aching, but also crest activation and the power both the minor Crest of Seiros and the major Crest of Flames granted her.

She made a mental note about it and hoped that habit wouldn’t make her slip on the first big event of the Officers Academy.

“You have yourself a deal, Claude von Riegan.” Edelgard said, somehow agreeing with him that it would be interesting for them to have that bet, to dilute the sense of importance over that fight with something fun. It had been forever since she had fought merely for entertaining herself instead of because of a test, so others could make sure she was using the power they had given her to its full potential.

Never mind that after those sessions she would lie on the floor, broken, in pain, her scars throbbing and screaming as if they had been etched into her body anew. Emotions thundering on her heart, as having to work with those monsters meant being once again close to her past. Too close for comfort, too close for her to take a deep breath.

Too close for her to ever be herself, the girl she had been before all of that started.

Dimitri turned wide blue eyes at her, probably wondering if that had been a joke as well. Once her face and Claude’s remained the same he sighed and shook his head, not sure he had heard it right anyways. “What do you want to bet in any case?”

The future duke had a thoughtful expression on his face, swinging his weight from side to side and beaming at the fact that both the kids on his class, who were sitting closer to the Entrance Hall, were gawking at him with a mixture of wonder and fear. They had learned too soon that Claude was impossible to control and that nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted.

Though if looks were enough to base oneself from, the same could be said of the princess, who suggested they should bet for quills, favorite food or something innocuous like that, and the prince, who still looked pained but in the end agreed with her.

“Nah, I don’t care about those things at all. They’re not good motivations for all the extra training sessions I’ll start doing after the first day of class.” He winked at them but that was received with a groan. “The two who lose will have to say three very intimate things about themselves.”

“Seizing the competition from the beginning of the year? That is very smooth of you, I admit.” Dimitri said after a grunt, arms crossing in front of his chest. “I agree then, it will be an exchange of secrets in a way.”

Edelgard stayed put, doing her best to keep her stance and face stable. No matter how neither of them were really in charge as of then, or that they didn’t know her enough to make assumptions, she was still sure their former education had made them good at reading expressions. It was a necessary skill to have as a future ruler after all. In the end she simply beamed and accepted it, the three of them shaking hands as if a matter of estate had been solved in a friendly way.

A second after they were gone and she had sat down to finish her meal, she ordered Hubert to outline three very convincing secrets she wouldn’t want anyone in the world to know about. Not that she was planning on losing, but it was better safe than sorry in any case. The last thing she wanted was for the likes of Claude or Dimitri getting to learn about what had happened to her in the past, or what was lying ahead in the future.

He took the suggestion with a chuckle and started working on it right away, occasionally pitching ideas at her as the meal went by. Most people gave them a wide berth mostly because it was intimidating enough that she was _the_ Imperial princess – with Hubert towering beside her, his gaze scathing and threatening to outright murder anyone who proved to be suspicious or said anything that could upset Edelgard made others just stay away.

That was how things had been ever since she was returned from the dungeons, the one survivor from everything she and her siblings had been submitted to. From the very first day he had watched over her like a hawk, showing his care in minor things such as dealing with her hair when seeing the silver had been too much for her, getting new sets of clothes that would completely cover her scars when her old ones weren't long enough to hide them.

He would slip her extra dessert when she was having a particularly bad day with her uncle, tutors or just the aches that had tortured her for the longest while for the first months that she had been back to the surface. Sometimes she would allow him to hold her hand at night once she woke up in tears due to a nightmare or another – though she had asked him not to do so after one very bad night in which she had seen everything as clearly as if it had been happening right in front of her very eyes.

Although from that day on he was kept wishing he could help and give her some respite, in the same way he had tried learning healing magic in order to aid with the scars, the pain and the general weakness that had taken hold of young Edelgard, he respected her will first and foremost. It didn’t mean he was deaf to her pleas and her cries for help, his hands balling into fists and dark magic roaring inside his chest at the thought of destroying their now dubious allies, the ones that had scarred her so.

One day he would have his revenge on them, he knew. For then, the one thing he could do was to be as useful as possible on carving the path his liege would follow and walk over no matter what it took.

Such determination was scary, they knew. They had also come to the Officers Academy more with the objective of learning combat from the best tutors and also infiltrate themselves in the church’s web of lies than anything, which meant they had never really thought about making friends with classmates, those that were also from the Empire.

Edelgard herself was sure they would turn their heads the other way the moment she declared her war further down the year, so she simply stared at the others who shared a table with them, absorbed in their own worlds and plans for the day, for the party that would take place later on. She wished her thoughts could be on simpler matters such as those, too.

“Be excusing… of… mine – me.” The voice woke the princess from her reverie, the soft smile on her face broadening when she looked up and saw who it was. “I uh… not good with language.”

“You are doing fine, Petra.” Edelgard softly said, her lilac eyes dancing just as they had the moment she realized the other girl had made it into Garreg Mach too.

Unfortunately, the other princess had been kept with Duke Gerth ever since the Dagda-Brigid war and not on the Enbarr palace alongside El, but they had met once or twice before, whenever her uncle would throw a party and invite all of the nobility to attend. While in those occasions Petra had mostly been quiet, trying to better understand and master the new language, Edelgard was more than happy to help, to try teaching her little things here and there.

It was a gradual process but eventually they were able to start sending letters to each other through Hubert’s personal mailing system, one that didn’t rely on messengers that were being supervised by the Lord Regent. Those letters were enough to let El know the fast progress that Petra had been doing in her reading and writing comprehension, though she would often complain that there was no one there willing to speak to her because of where she was from.

The memory was always one that made Edelgard frown, her heart panging in pain for the sweet girl that had been plucked from her own home, sent to live in a place where few to no one wanted her there. She hoped that the monastery would be a breath of fresh air and a better environment for Petra to stay at, just as it was being for her in some way or another.

“You flatten me too much.” She sat down, tucked her beautiful, intricate magenta braid behind her shoulders. “There will be having a… dancing tonight, is that correct?”

“Indeed. Today is the last day of Imperial year 1179 and tonight we shall celebrate the passage into a new one.” Edelgard answered, glad when that was received with a nod and an “oh”. “The party will be held at the Reception Hall again, just as it was with the welcoming dinner a few days ago.”

“I see. You have my gratitude for the informations, lady Edelgard.” The girl bowed her head, looking a bit puzzled at how the princess frowned and slightly blushed at that.

“No honorifics are needed, Petra. We are equals, you and I, and I hope you know you can come to me for help regardless of the situation, ok?”

They turned around once someone else chuckled at that, joining the table and took a seat beside Petra. Just as it had happened the first time El saw that person, her heart thudded a little faster and a smile colored her lips as if doing so was the most natural thing in the world

Again Dorothea beamed back at her in a similar quality for a second, only to change her expression into a politer, colder and detached beam. One that, the princess had noted, she used with everybody else regardless of who they were.

Somehow, as if she were justified to feel something like that, her chest ached and lurched, her entire demeanor becoming downcast for no reason at all.

“Oh is this seat taken? I don’t wanna impose or look bad close to Your Highnesses.” Her melodious voice had a hint of sarcasm that was lost on Petra, but not so much on Edelgard or Hubert, who glanced at her with some interest.

“No, you can be having your food with us.” Petra answered after snickering. “I am still very surprised that you are not a royalty yourself, Dorothea.”

The brunette snickered at that, waved the comment away as if it was meaningless. “Oh darling no, I couldn’t be the furthest from a noble even if I tried. That’s very kind of you, though I’m nothing but a mere commoner amongst you of noble birth.”

“If nothing, that is enough to speak of how capable you are.” El said, curious, turning to completely face her. “It is an unfortunate fact that commoners don’t have the same opportunities for education than nobles do. Yet that didn’t deter you from passing the entrance exams and joining the rest of us despite those hindrances. You must be quite the fighter – magic, is it?”

“Yeah, I have some tricks under my sleeves.” She winked, internally laughing when that made Edelgard blush. At the same time she had no idea what to make of the praises, why they had felt so different from when many other nobles had almost declared odes and poems to her during the time she had been at the Mittelfrank. “And about my abilities, you’ll see them soon enough, won’t you?”

She had to stop herself from actually laughing once the princess’s cheeks were dusted with a stronger hue of crimson, as red as the dress she was wearing. She did allow an entertained smile to color her lips in response, one that for once had reached her eyes and followed Edelgard once she got up, excused herself and went outside with her fateful vassal in tow.

Dorothea didn’t know why, but something about that princess did look and sound familiar – way more than the fact that she was a noble and they were literally all the same in some way or another. No, whenever she saw that girl walking around the monastery, her head held high and her observant demeanor, she felt something tugging at her heart, as if wanting to remind her of other times, of days long gone when singing hadn’t been her sole priority and her days had been spent doing…

Nothing came though, no matter how much she tried forcing her mind back to a past that had apparently been forgotten, one that had happened way before a certain songstress had abandoned her with a huge home in Enbarr and a written note telling her to follow her dreams.

Manuela Casagranda had yet to show up, as apparently the professors had been awarded some extra vacations before the new year and were scheduled to return to the monastery on that night for the celebrations. To say Dorothea had been daydreaming with the moment she would see her old teacher, the woman who had cared for her like a mother until that day in which the house had been empty, was an understatement.

That had been the driving force behind her going to the monastery, the one that had fueled her growing distaste with the crowd that attended the Mittelfrank and had wanted nothing more than to devour Dorothea with their eyes, their lips and hands just like Manuela had admonished they would. That, plus the certainty that one day she would be cast aside and no longer admired, was enough to make her heartbeat accelerate once she contemplated being left aside to rot in the streets again, jobless, powerless, without enough gold to get by.

No, that was unthinkable, she had decided one morning after musing over it throughout the night, the fear of having to go back to those bleak days enough to make her heartbeat spike and her breathing to speed up, her entire body shaking so much it almost stopped her from attending rehearsals on that day. It had been a bad wake up call all things considered, as lingering sensations from it made everything tougher than it was supposed to, her focus wavering and voice cracking.

After practice for the day had been done she went home crying, though a part of her had been glad there was no performance to be held and they were just preparing for the next one. She had denied last-minute invitations to sing in a house close to hers – incidentally, sometimes she was called to perform in a mansion that looked too familiar to her for a reason or another – and let herself collapse in Manuela’s room with a notebook and a jade pendant in her hand, treasures from days when everything had been easier.

Days that Dorothea almost couldn’t recall, as she also couldn’t remember who had given those things to her. Only that they had meant a lot and still did.

For the first time in a long while, she had let tears run their course as she tried to conjure her mentor and guardian from memory. If she focused enough she could recall her warmth, her words of advice and how close they had been. How close, until there was nothing but a letter for Dorothea to hold on to, one made her doubt herself, her need to exist and be there if no one else seemed to care. If no one ever hung around her long enough and always left.

That day and others that followed had seen her sad, broody, not the happy and cheerful girl she would pretend to be under the spotlight. After a week or so had passed a noble or another told her of where Manuela was completely by chance. That was when her course was set and her life changed again, gaining a new direction that yes, meant she would renounce the stage she had adored so many years ago.

It was a fair trade, as gradually the opera house and its antics had started meaning less and less to her.

That didn’t mean that Manuela, her reference when thinking about the Mittelfrank, meant less to her. She had gone all the way to the monastery to see her, as well as to secure a bright and stable future for herself. One that would throw away every possibility of her being discarded in the streets again, with no one to help her but her own wit and abilities to stay alive.

That night, when the professors would parade in front of the students and announce their names, field of research and what they expected from the pupils for the year to come, Dorothea would stare at Manuela with pride in her eyes, then hopefully ask the questions that had been burning in her mind for the last four or so years.

Petra’s voice woke her up from a reverie as the other princess struggled with her words, something that Dorothea was more than happy to assist with. And so she did, beaming in encouragement at someone from another country that had also been done dirty by the nobles of Fódlan.

She could only hope that one day the system would change. That crests would die down and no longer doom others while exalting those who were more than happy to do nothing, only count themselves as blessed by a Goddess that seemed deaf or uncaring to what humans did.

It had been tougher to get to what was called the Nuvelle territory than to return empty-handed to their base in Remire. Or at least that was the consensus within the Blade Breakers that had had to trudge through the last of snow and cold winds, once either the territory had actually proven to be fake or they had taken a wrong turn along the way and ended up somewhere else.

After their walk through the plains they had wandered further away from the land and closer to the sea, as tales about that place had told them to. It had been good to meander over beaches and their thin sand, the cold ocean that didn’t freeze but looked like it wouldn’t be a good idea to dive into it anyways. However much they walked over those patches of the land, actually finding verdant fields where the sand almost met a forest, there had been no sign of a human settlement whatsoever, abandoned or not.

The only thing that even indicated those lands had been in contact with humans for the last thousand years had been charred marks on trees and some patches of land being completely bare, but that wasn’t enough to say that something that had been there before was burned down.

The fact that Aradia had seemed to believe it was just what Byleth needed to shake her head and insist that they had gone the wrong way, then motion for them to return to Remire anyways. They could have gone on, they all knew, their faces blank when the order was given. However, there was something else she wanted to do, somewhere else she would rather be and the year was just starting after all. Which meant their chance of having some extra good heists was enhanced as well.

Everyone knew those times of celebration were amazing for stealing, as commoners, nobles and soldiers got too carried away with eating and drinking, betting on who was the best at something or another, to actually notice or be able to deal with normal thieves. Let alone the Blade Breakers and Byleth in particular, whose presence and fame was enough to strike fear in the hearts of those who saw her on the opposite side of the field.

Thus she convinced them to go back to Remire with promises of assaulting the big house of Arundel on their way out of the territory, something they hadn’t done yet because of how they had sought for shelter in that area – the last thing they wanted was to draw attention from the lord while still in hiding, even though he was rarely in his own lands to begin with but always in Enbarr according to tales and complaints told around the villages around it.

In any case it was a bitter journey back for most of them, their minds tired after getting out of the Brionac Plateau with nothing but failure to talk about once they reunited with the main force of their band. Some whined, saying they should have never believed in legends, that if the Nuvelle lands had been that good, they would have already been ransacked to the max by other, faster thieves before them.

Nevertheless, they fell silent the moment Byleth looked at them with a challenge behind her eyes, almost daring them to do or say something more. Their shock was enough to keep them still or glance away, as she wasn’t one to express emotions with a glance like that, let alone such a murderous expression.

All in all, Byleth herself didn’t understand what was going on. Ever since the beginning of the year she had felt the need to go somewhere else, to make her way back to Remire as fast as possible. It was the same urge that had made her sneak out to Enbarr, then to the palace, so many times in her past. And just like those times she had no recollection or explanation as to why that kept happening. What could be there, in that strange place, to make her get out of her way to pay a visit?

Except this time the drive wasn’t for her to hire a Pegasus or wyvern rider as she usually did and go down to the Imperial capital. No, the urge to move faster was directing her to Remire itself and she was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that the rest of the crew as well as her father were there. 

If nothing, being away from Jeralt was always a more than welcome respite.

So she pressed on through snow-covered forests, misty days, small villages where the people were still celebrating around a bonfire and some food they had been able to gather, and finally over roads and plains that had been stomped way too often by horses and soldiers, the path and nature around it becoming smooth due to the prolonged impact.

They kept away from smaller villages and finally attacked bigger houses that they had passed by during their way to the plateau and the empty lands of what had been said to be Nuvelle. There was plenty to eat and more than plenty of weapons to share, some of which they took home as a gift to the rest of the Blade Breakers since their main mission had turned out to be awful. Not that they would be chastised for a failure or for chasing a myth, but even so they wanted to be prepared for the jests that would maybe accompany them for a while.

And everyone knew there was no better way to make a thief shut up than giving them something valuable, golden (though not necessarily made of gold for the dumber ones that couldn’t identify the difference) and stolen.

The minute they arrived in the village that had mostly been home to the thieves for the last several weeks, they were welcomed with loud hails and warm words from the rest of the team. Byleth watched the entire thing, her eyes fixed on the twilight that painted the sky orange and pink, subtle hints of dark blue already creeping through as some stars began to shine.

“Sorry it was a doozy, kid.”

Jeralt’s voice broke her out of a strange reverie, one about being in a forest at night. As always her eyes hardened as they settled on him, something that shouldn’t have surprised him after it had happened for so long but still did anyways. In the end, whenever she went on a mission without him he would get his hopes up that, for some reason, she would forgive him along the way and go back to regarding him in a more open, less hostile way.

She shrugged to show that it was fine, that some missions were like that and there was nothing else they could do – or at least that was the way he wanted to read her gesture since she wasn’t one to communicate with words to begin with.

Yet her gaze was lost along the rows of tiny houses she hadn’t seen in a while, how they huddled around a small square and were separated from each other by nothing but some ugly, rotting fences. Jeralt and now Byleth had gotten the biggest one for themselves; the thieves had taken another and kept rotating who slept in it and who stayed outside in the tents.

Meanwhile, the rest of the villagers were somewhat confused by the situation they saw themselves in since none of the bandits had tried harassing them so far – both of the occupied houses had belonged to some sort of knights of Seiros or whatever that had been sent by the church to keep them safe, but had napped through most of the days and couldn’t be bothered to pick up a weapon when the townsfolk alerted them to the presence of thieves.

In the end when the Blade Breakers had disposed of them and taken their abodes, the villagers found out that nothing had changed and in a weird, distorted logic, they would probably be safer with that merry bunch than with the church that hadn’t helped them at all.

“How have things been here?” Aradia inquired as she stepped closer to Byleth and Jeralt, then winced once the other woman took a step back from her and narrowed her eyes at both. She, too, wished things could be different and couldn’t remember how many times she had already apologized to no avail.

“Mostly chill to be honest. Some stupid thieves came here a few days ago and we put them out of their misery, little treasure to get and all. But there’re some rumors we might have a few visitors coming soon.” Jeralt’s face was ecstatic with the prospect. “Apparently every beginning of the year some students from a fancy school near here come do some combat practice around this area.”

Aradia hummed, though both were surprised at how fast Byleth turned to glance at him with her full attention. It was beyond them why that had called to her like that, but then neither the young thief understood it as well.

“That’s interesting. I mean, it’s not a guarantee we’ll get something good out of harassing kids, but at least it could be fun to give them some real training, a taste of what the world is like.” Her smile was vicious and excited, an echo of the chuckle that left Jeralt’s lips. “What with Byleth over there, they’ll be handling us their weapons and whatever gold they have on them before we even start attacking.”

Some of the thieves that had overheard that exchange laughed as if the entire thing was the best joke they had heard in a while. Since some of those had just come back from a very frustrated hunt with Byleth, it was easy to understand their eagerness to attack and get all they could from brats. Even more so when it seemed there could be some noble brats in their midst too, according to the stories they had heard from villagers.

It shouldn’t matter to Byleth; it never had before. But somehow, the moment they set out to scout the woods a few days later in search of those so-called kids who were supposed to show up some time when the year began, there was a mixture of unease and concern making its way up her veins and pooling in her chest, constricting it in a way that was new.

When that night, then the next and several ones after met them with an empty forest they had already memorized and nothing but the sound of animals they hunted down for food, there was a tinge of sadness inside her heart that was new and painful, one that she wished to end.

It took so long for it to happen that the Blade Breakers had started wondering if they had fallen to another myth as well. The last thing they wanted was to repeat the Nuvelle disaster, but somehow this time they stayed there no matter what. As if they had been sure that wasn’t a fable, just a matter of waiting out for the right time.

And the right time did come in a night that was a bit warmer than the last few months since winter had finally ended and spring would soon come. There was a playful breeze going through Byleth’s tousled hair as she hid over one of the tallest trees around the forest, probably closer to the Oghma mountains than anything else. They had followed natural trails and paths worn down by years of usage, eventually realizing the school the villagers had been talking about was none other than the Garreg Mach monastery.

Hearing the name had caused Jeralt to flinch, an ominous emotion crossing his face at that mention of it as if he knew what that was about for some reason or another. When Aradia and Mila had looked at him with questioning eyes he just shrugged and said one thing or another about how that place was rumored to have big treasure – and who knew, maybe one day they could try raiding it after putting some fear into their students.

So they had waited in silence, Byleth again finding her spot on the same tree she had perched herself in for nights while waiting, eyes unfocused and travelling through the expanse of mountain they could already see in the horizon. Somehow her gaze was always drawn there, as if she too knew something about that or the fabled school that was in there, though she wasted no time with conjectures anyways. She shrugged, took notice of the other bandits also lying in wait and sighed, hoping this wasn’t another wild goose chase.

Then widened her eyes the second she heard the sound of three young voices raised in banter, a girl and two boys, coming exactly towards them.

Edelgard wanted to kill the person who had thought it would be a good idea to send the house leaders on a training regimen of their own after a few weeks of class. The experience had been awful from the beginning with her, Claude and Dimitri were accompanied by a scrawny, scared-looking man that was supposed to be one of their professors but seemed like he had never battled a fly in his entire life.

To say the three students hadn’t been impressed when they reached the training spot, a clearing in the center of the forest down the mountains, and glanced at them with a question in his eyes, was an understatement. He had no idea on what to do with them since he had just been recruited this year to fill the gap a great researcher had left open, in order to pursue their true passions and not have to deal with kids again.

Not that the three lords could blame that former teacher, as one look at their future classmates had been enough to know that it would be quite a year all things considered.

It had been morning when they were taken there by the small man, though luckily a few of the Knights of Seiros had escorted them as well and decided it would be a good place as ever to work on some important fighting and survival skills. That was what they had done all day with some pauses here and there for water and food, using the clearing both as a battlefield and a stage of sorts so the knights could teach them one thing or another depending on their weapon of preference.

The trip itself had been meaningless because they could have very well done the same thing in the training grounds – and their teacher had been completely useless, an issue that bothered Edelgard to no end. By the end of it, long after twilight fell and the pupils were finishing some complex routines with each other in a three-way battle, they were exhausted but feeling good about themselves. It was the first time they had spent a whole day in combat instead of having lectures from all the professors that taught at the Officers Academy.

“Well then, should we return to the monastery, professor?” Edelgard asked, wiped sweat out of her forehead and let the axe fall to the ground beside her. Only to dance away on instinct a second later when Claude tried swatting at her with his bow. “Seriously? We are already done here.”

“Aw c’mon princess, don’t be such a spoilsport.” The future duke pouted, moving towards Dimitri next. “I still have some energy left to spare.”

“Good for you, so why don’t you spend it running back to the monastery instead of hanging around pestering us?” The prince grunted, picked Claude’s bow when he tried the same thing with him and tucking it away from his hands.

“I might. You’re no fun after all.”

The other two sighed and the knights tittered, but looked away once Edelgard glared at them. Night had fallen some many hours ago when they started towards the forest, making it an entire day spent out of the monastery. For that she thanked all the stamina training she had had back at Enbarr or else that would have been quite a difficult day all in all.

She smiled, taking some pride in the fact that she was no longer a sickly child that had withstood too much and almost been broken by what was done to her. She was strong enough to stand eye to eye with the other two house leaders and, more than that, with actual Knights of Seiros, as all of the five had been keen on complimenting her battle prowess after a match with her.

Yes, it had been a good training session all things considered, but it still felt like a waste of time and energy to take the three lords to somewhere a bit distant from the monastery for something like that. What was worse, she had had a bad feeling about it ever since archbishop Rhea had announced their own little mission with a sweet, disgusting smile. While the princess had been pretty sure the unease had been caused by the woman that was head of the church and her demeanor in general, plus all that she represented, she wasn’t as sure of it on that moment. Not when the sensation had yet to subside and they were pretty much done with the mission anyways.

And to make matters worse, the bandits her uncle had hired to, in his own words, "do away with the competition before the grand war could begin" were nowhere to be found. 

They marched on into the deep forest as they needed to go a little to that side before finding the path that would lead them back to the monastery. There were no sounds around them other than the breeze ruffling leaves that hadn't fallen during either autumn or winter, the bare branches that remained on the trees, the signs of cold nights and days that would soon give away to the warmth that Edelgard preferred.

As such that was a clear, chilly night, but the fact that they had been exercising and doing drills the entire day meant the princess was almost overheating as they meandered through the woods, though her entire body hummed with tiredness and a few bruises she had sustained in those little skirmishes. She made a mental note to have Hubert procuring some bandages and the likes as soon as she was back to her quarters. There was no way she would go to the infirmary and let professor Manuela take a look at those, her scars by association - and at her as a whole, too.

The woman had already reacted very strangely to her the moment they met in the new year celebration. She had widened her eyes and hugged her once there was no one else in sight, asking what had happened, why her hair had changed, how she was doing and if she was really _the_ Edelgard…

She had interrupted the professor right then, pulling away from her and taking several steps back after saying she had no idea what the woman was talking about. Yet her heart had beat a lot faster at those words and tears had stung her eyes, though to that moment she couldn't understand why. The one thing the princess could do was hope things wouldn’t be like that for the rest of the year, or else she would really have some trouble with it.

Or with paying attention in class, for if the woman was to be her teacher and try rekindling some sort of bond she couldn't remember having...

“Your Princelinesses are too quiet for such a nice day and night like this.” Claude taunted from his place in front of them, then yawned and waited until the other two caught up. Behind them, their professor marched in between the Knights of Seiros, his eyes swishing left and right in fear. “I know I shouldn’t say too much about it but what a teacher right?”

Dimitri chuckled; there was no better way to bond than through some common, shared spite. He didn’t know if he should fall for the bait and just go for it, but decided there might be no harm anyways, right? “Yes, he was quite lacking for an instructor to be honest. I expected him to know what we were supposed to do, to begin with.”

“The whole exercise was an utter and complete disappointment.” Edelgard huffed, rolled her eyes. “We could have done the same thing back in the monastery, so what was the use of taking us here?”

“Probably to see if we’d help each other survive in the nasty, nasty jungle and all of the terrors that are around, ooooooooooh.” He made a scary voice, tensing his fingers into claws and swatting at the princess, who grunted in response.

“Can’t you stop acting like a child and really grow up?” She inquired, pacing away from him while the two boys snickered at her. “Seriously, you are the future leader of the Leicester Alliance and need to have more –“

“Jeez, princess, relax will ya? I’ll do the growing when I have to. Oh sorry, uh… I shall go through the process of becoming a mature, awfully uninteresting human being once the occasion calls for me to do so.” He repeated, then burst out laughing when she smacked him in the head.

“Why did I even ask.” El shook her head, though there was a small smile ghosting her lips even so.

“Hopefully we’ll get a better professor and this one was just an instructor sent to aid us with this mission today –“

Suddenly Edelgard veered to her left, pushed a protesting Claude out of the way just in time to avoid an attack, a shadow that fell from a tree with a powerful slash. The moment her eyes went to the sword, before the figure jumped away and more surrounded the three nobles in a small circle, she saw the way it glistened, how all of those people’s weapons did.

Her hands clutched at her axe, ready to fight or defend herself once adrenaline shot through her body. That wasn’t a drill or a mock battle like the ones they had done throughout the day.

That was a real one, with unknown enemies that looked like seasoned fighters looming over them, their victorious smiles turning into laughter once the professor behind them took a look at their numbers and fled, leaving three students and five knights alone with what seemed to be around twenty thieves.

At first everyone stood still, the two parties observing each other and mentally counting their assets and disadvantages. The robbers had everything in their favor, from weaponry and numbers to sheer skill. Although the students had those few Knights of Seiros who had escorted them all day long, Edelgard wasn’t foolish to even entertain the notion they could be enough against those odds.

She felt dizzy and tired as she clutched her axe, heart beating faster than ever before once she realized her plans for the future, for the war that she would start, lead and use in order to free Fódlan from tyranny were suddenly at risk. Her mind, foggy with a mixture of adrenaline and fear, saw no comeback, no way in which they would ever get out of that alive without some divine intervention.

The person to finally break through the stalemate and start the fight was the one closest to Edelgard, a tall woman. She remained tense while looking at the girl for a few seconds, then surprisingly turned her eyes to Dimitri and lunged for him instead of going for her nearest prey.

The prince was just as taken aback with that, his moves sloppy when he parried the forward slash just in time by raising his lance. His footwork was uneven though, so he was unable to dart away from the flurry of attacks the woman launched on him, the sheer strength behind each and every move amazing and remarkable for a warrior.

Or at least it would have been so if they weren’t on opposite sides of that field.

Edelgard rushed after a moment’s hesitation, making to strike her with the axe and watching as the thief’s cold, calculating cornflower blue eyes ran over her a second before the weapon could connect, then danced away in time to avoid the move. She jumped away, apparently uninterested in answering that aggression and pursued one of the knights that was giving her bandits the most trouble.

Another thief, this time a man holding a lance, replaced the graceful and deadly woman from before. His movements were a bit more sluggish and clouded by the sweet anticipation of what they probably thought of as an easy victory. As a result, even though he managed to hit the prince on the shoulder, Edelgard followed up with a slash of her own and hit his torso, making him hit the floor with a pained cry.

The princess and the prince had a second to nod at each other before someone else came, this time with Dimitri following up an attack after the El parried a blow and managed to distract the guy so he could be hit. And so they went on, fighting together for once instead of seeing differences between each other, all placed together in that battlefield that had taken them by surprise.

It was obvious that the students couldn’t keep that up for much longer, as they had already exhausted themselves earlier on with all that combat practice – and the thieves they were facing were somehow way more skilled than they had ever thought such people would be (and completely not the ones that had been hired by Arundel either, she had seen their lease before and the graceful, deadly warrior wasn't it). Whenever the two had some form of respite they would glance back at the knights and watch the woman take care of them all while dodging and taking minimal to no damage.

They would be completely done if she ever went back for them, though even the other robbers were being no pushovers either.

“What is –“ Dimitri uttered, clutched the side of his cheek where a sword cut from their leader had gotten through his defenses. It was very superficial, as if the one who had done it hadn’t meant to actually hurt him, but even so.

“No time for questions now.” Edelgard shook her head, taking his arm and ushering him away. “We need to move, to take this closer to Garreg Mach and the deeper parts of the woods so we can confuse them.”

“What about Clau-“

“Follow me, Your Princelinesses.” A voice came from above them and they watched as the boy jumped from one tall tree to the next, avoiding the bandits that tried grabbing at him and shooting an occasional arrow or another before they could reach his spot.

They did as they were told, scrambling after Claude through the vegetation, the yells and grunts of pain staying behind since apparently most of the thieves had decided it was a better idea to focus on the knights and only get the students. While it was a wise tactic, the kids could use that as an opportunity to escape, to get cover and wait until the situation got better.

That plan was dead in the water once they did reach a portion of the forest that was close to the monastery and had more trees where one could hide. Yet it also had more rogues who smiled menacingly at the teenagers as if they had been waiting for them to arrive.

The three had apparently been surrounded and never known it until that moment in time.

“Oh crap.” Claude uttered once he realized his mistake, a little too late to reiterate it anyways.

For the first time since meeting him Edelgard didn’t mind his language or anything else about his demeanor, as there were way more important things at stake right there.

“What do you want from us?” Dimitri asked, facing a woman with curly orange hair whose sight was enough to make a shiver run down El’s spine for some reason or another.

“Your gold, of course.” The mage said, walking closer to them with some of her friends in tow. Her eyes fluttered over the princess, a stab of wonder and pain marring the victory in her caramel eyes for one second. “Your necks too, maybe.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, my fair lady, but there is no gold on any of us – and our lives aren’t that important either.” Claude uttered, somehow keeping the same cheeky smile on his face that he always used to try walking himself out of a situation.

“Funny, I doubt that.” Her chuckle held no humor behind it, though her irises were shining in victory and anticipation. “But fine, if you’d rather do this the tougher way…”

As if her words had been the sign those around her were waiting for, they suddenly sprang into action, around ten bandits against three panting kids who did their best to defend and attack, to lose sight of them and hide when necessary, covering for each other whenever they could afford to. The mage watched through it all, though magic sizzled around her and was ready to be commanded, to inflict pain if it was needed.

It wasn’t as if they ever had the upper hand to begin with, but the moment they noticed another fast, quiet fighter joining the fray and zeroing in on Dimitri once again, they knew there was no hope for any of them.

The woman was again swift and precise, her prowess with the sword visible with each and every slash, the ones she landed on Dimitri and Claude in quick succession even if they managed to block some of her moves. They grunted due to the exertion, sometimes gasping in surprise at the sudden change of directions that strange opponent would take and how that resulted in them getting even more hurt.

However much she seemed keen on attacking the boys, strangely enough she had only cast a glance at Edelgard before leaving her alone, not once taking a step or raising her weapon towards the girl. The weirdness of it was baffling and even demeaning, a reaction El would have found funny if things hadn't been that alarming. But at the very least it gave her an idea, though the chances were still too slim…

The princess decided to take it anyways, as it was better than nothing in a situation such as that. After dispatching one of her enemies with a hit from the handle of her axe, her arms screaming in pain and body yelling in tiredness, she swerved towards the woman and the two nobles, placing herself in front of them like a small shield. Her weapon was pointing at the running thief, whose eyes widened at that. 

Only for her to halt mid-movement and dash beside the princess before attempting to hit her friends again.

Some of the bandits on the other side of the trees frowned once they saw that, saw the hesitation behind Byleth’s eyes whenever the girl tried getting into the fight, only to be ignored or sidestepped as if she weren’t a worthy opponent. The most the woman had ever done was push her aside with her left arm, but even that had a gentleness to it that was at odds with the entire setting. With who their temporary leader was as well.

“Byleth?” The mage screamed, bewilderment in her voice. It really wasn’t like the woman to spare a noble regardless of their age or gender – it had never been a problem before, so why was she doing it right then?

There was no answer and the woman just pressed forward, defending herself from one of the remaining knights that had managed to stay alive and find them amidst the woods. As one other followed suit, the thieves that had been merely watching joined the fight including the ginger-haired woman from before, and more confusion ensured once spells mixed in with yells, grunts and the sounds of metal on metal while weapons met each other in a deathly dance.

Edelgard’s body started faltering more and more, almost failing to block a lance that tried stabbing at her from above. The weight of the axe, something that had never been a problem before, became too much for her to bear and her legs were feeling heavy as well, making her footwork sloppy enough so that she almost tripped. The same tiredness and fear was etched on the two boys’ faces and she ran to them as best as she could, making the woman who had been called Byleth grunt in frustration and change the direction of her slash last minute, so it wouldn’t hit that girl.

That girl…

The princess saw the hesitation in the woman’s eyes and used that second to call her friends' attention, then usher them to a cluster of trees that temporarily hid them from sight.

“We won’t… we can’t keep this…” Claude began, panting, cleaning sweat from his forehead. His bloody palms smeared his face red, a fitting picture to the entire night.

“There must be a… a way…” Dimitri echoed, clutching his arm where the woman had hit him with a precise slash. He knew there wasn’t enough blood in it to be concerning, but even so.

“There… there is.” Edelgard mumbled, head held high once the solution became clear to her. “Run back to the monastery and ask for help, both of you. Take out as many of those bandits as you can. I will keep that woman occupied.”

“What, are you insane? We can’t just leave you here with –“ Dimitri began, placing a hand on her shoulder. One that she brushed away with a thoughtful gesture.

“She seems reluctant to fight me. We can… and should use this to our advantage. Now go and alert the knights.” Her order was final; a second later she dashed back into the battlefield and swung her axe at Byleth, placing her entire strength behind that slash.

Her move was dodged, though the woman made no motion to raise her weapon or strike back neither then nor on the minutes that followed, in which Edelgard did her best to land one of her hits. She came up short, fatigue slowly getting the best of her while her mind yelled, protested and wished for it all to stop.

For it all to have a solution, in some way or another.

Her wish was granted when her body exploded in pain, the impact of something dark, ominous and sharp making her gasp, lilac eyes widening and turning into deep purple as her entire being recognized what that energy meant. The way it ran through her bloodstream and seemed to claw at her very being, draining her of strength and will as it went.

She collapsed on the cold, hard floor and whimpered once the very familiar pain of being hit with dark magic coursed through her, one that she wished never to feel again after all that had happened at the dungeons of Enbarr.

For a second she was back there again, her scars flaring to life and aching like they had just been etched into her body and she had returned from the experiments to an empty, dark cell. Her eyes were unfocused and her muscles were locked taut, waiting for the moment when she would be required again for new tests.

Waiting for death to come to her at once, so she could be with her siblings and the family that had been plucked from her one by one.

As a result, she barely felt it once someone gently turned her over, the darkness of the floor turning into the view of a starry night and soft, concerned blue irises staring first at her, then around the place in general. Before she could even understand what was happening a decision was made and she was delicately picked from the floor, her head coming to rest against arms that somehow felt familiar, a warmth that part of her seemed to recognize in some distant, half forgotten way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to timeskip!!! And to the initial idea that started this entire fic to begin with. Though the battle and its outcome will be better explored on the next chapter as we'll see it through Byleth's point of view, that scene was the first to make its way into my mind and go like "so what if the Blade Breakers were the thieves that attacked the three lords in the beginning of the game?"
> 
> Again, i can't thank you enough for reading this so far. It makes my day to know people are still interested and I hope their encounter was to your liking as well. Have a great rest of your week! 
> 
> Ps: should I leave this as a cliffhanger and only post the next chapter in 2021? XD we shall see about that!


	24. A Shaky Beginning (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth once more takes Edelgard away, even if the Blade Breakers aren't the happiest with her decision to do so.
> 
> Both princess and thief struggle not only with each other, but with the strange feelings they have - that perhaps something like this has already happened before.

Of all things Byleth had expected to find when the so-called students of the Garreg Mach monastery came into view, that certainly wasn’t one of them. Not the three kids and some few knights who were fighting a band of thieves in the middle of the woods, the one other adult that was probably their professor running away at the first sight of danger to himself.

Not that girl with the silver hair and lilac eyes that seemed to stare into her soul, to tug at her very being in a way that had never happened to her before. Or… had it?

Byleth didn’t know and would rather not think about things that in the end would change absolutely nothing on the outcome they desired. The Blade Breakers were after their gold, weapons, anything they could sell and profit on later when they were out of Remire and further into Arundel territory, this time hell bent on raiding some villas and mansions they had seen along the way.

So it was an easy mission, right? Round the brats and keep them from escaping, ransack them and the knights until they were dressed in whatever the thieves wouldn’t be able to use. Stop anyone that might or might not come for their rescue and run the hell away from there – the sight of the monastery a bit closer to them was starting to creep Byleth out, what with how it looked more like a fortress than a religious space and school. No, she had been more at ease on the plains they had climbed in order to get a view of Nuvelle, even if those had been steep and perilous at every handhold.

Then the kids had shown up then  _ she  _ had shown up – and every sense of discomfort was cast aside due to a latent energy, some sort of familiarity that pulsed inside of her very being. That pooled in her chest, tugging at something that she had thought forgotten, that hadn’t manifested itself for years.

Something that she had heard the others call their hearts while touching the left side of their chests with a palm or closed fist.

That girl was fierce, Byleth would give her that. Brandishing an axe that would trail over the ground if she were to hold it down, she was able to fend off some of the Blade Breakers with ease as if she had always been meant for battling, a weapon on its own. And while that should have made the woman eager to test her, to see how that axe would hold up against her sword, something about the mere thought of battling her seemed wrong.

So wrong that, the moment Byleth as much as tried raising her weapon against the girl, catching her unaware when her defenses were too open due to a reckless attack, she froze and changed directions in order to correct her course, to make it look like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Inside her, a small voice had protested against that movement, against the possibility of harming that particular young woman. Byleth frowned at it, at the hesitation and the ominous feeling of doom that festered on her due to the idea of hurting someone she was supposed to…

Steal from. The girl was just someone she was supposed to rob, though that also sounded too wrong for her. The urge that came later, that cut through the usual haze which took over Byleth whenever she would fight against some enemies, was to protect and make sure no harm came to the girl.

She wasn’t one to question her desires, to fight against what her mind deemed as the best course of action regardless of what other people had to say about it. That was what had taken her to Imperial lands, to Enbarr and the palace more specifically, so many times in the past. That was what had made her fight Jeralt a little bit too roughly more than once, their combat sessions looking more and more like real fights than actually training until it got to the point that he declared those drills had become irrelevant.

Whereas she might not have too many memories of the past, the long ago days that were a fog in her mind, she would never forget the somewhat scared tinge to his expression, the eyes which widened in surprise on the day she pinned him against the floor, steel sword to his throat and skin marred by blood from several cuts she had inflicted. If she hadn’t known any better, she would have stated that he was afraid for his life right then, even more so since he had been more than aware she had no qualms about killing those who got in her path.

If she had known any better, she wouldn’t have doubted that it was the truth behind his face and his declaration that she was free to do as pleased.

In the same way that Byleth had scared her father and other members of the Blade Breakers throughout her life with them, she inflicted some sort of fear upon those knights who seemed to belong to a group or something. Their heavy, pricy armor and flourished fighting technique was nothing to her speed, preciseness and ruthlessness, so they fell at her feet, lifeless, before she even realized what she had done or what was happening in general.

Her thoughts weren’t in the combat, but on the girl that was at another part of the forest, fighting against the Blade Breakers with the other two noble brats at her side.

Byleth knew she should be focusing on gathering the students and only dispatching the knights if or when they proved to be too much of a hassle, the usual fighting method that the thieves usually applied when seasoned fighters were involved. However, her thoughts when they turned to those kids – and to that one girl in particular – didn’t have any harmful intentions behind them, to the point she wondered if she would fight them, fight  _ her, _ if the two of them ever got that close.

The entire thing, as confusing as it was, made Byleth wish to destroy something or someone so she could find some familiarity in the entire setting, an anchor to cling to amidst chaotic water and rivulets of emotion. That arrived in the form of her making short work of the knights, her senses a flurry of colors, sounds and motion while she sliced, sidestepped, stabbed and eventually defeated all of them.

The seconds of silence that usually followed a conflict were cut short not by her ragged breaths, but by grunts of exertion coming from behind her, in the forest that had hidden the thieves and now watched an unfair duel between them and three kids who were doing their best to simply stay alive. Byleth turned around, giving her back to the knights she had defeated and watched for one second as the girl stepped in and parried a lance aimed at the blond guy, her pale face shining with resolve and lilac eyes exploding with a mixture of weariness, exhaustion and some fear.

Unable to keep herself away from the main battle any longer, to stand away from the girl that might need her in some form – the thought that she had needed her before was there, though the woman frowned at it and dismissed the entire notion by shaking her head - Byleth leapt from the clearing littered with armored bodies that the bandits would later raid, into the embrace of the forest and cluster of trees.

Into moments that became a blur in her mind, just as any other fight always had, unless that enchanting lilac light pulled her from it and grounded her in reality at the right second to either dodge a move from the girl or keep herself from hurting her too. Byleth even grew a bit annoyed at her insistence to battle her, or in the way she seemed to protect those two boys that were way sloppier soldiers than she was.

The second that Byleth had to touch her, to push her aside so she wouldn’t be on her way, the physical contact made her mind hum, her chest pulse with an energy that while not new, hadn’t been felt for so long it was almost like her first brush with it.

Although the thief had no name for it right there and then, years later she would agree that the sensation could be called recognition.

Yet that was enough for her to become hyperaware of the girl, to wonder if there was any way she could help her. Byleth gave it no mind when the other two nobles ran away, but frowned to herself as the axe came at her again and again.

_ Your form is wrong, but then I guess you’re tired _ , Byleth thought, a small smirk coming over her lips at that idea, at the mere notion of correcting a noble mid battle. A battle that she didn’t want to participate, for a starter. _ There’s no need for you to fight me, little one _ .

The way those words burned within her and were almost said aloud surprised her for a split second. However, it was the same second that the girl’s face contorted in pain, a sight which was followed by the explosion of ominous purple energy on her body and her falling to the ground in front of Byleth, a smirking, content Aradia standing behind her.

“You don’t mess with the Blade Breakers, little kid.” The mage huffed, wiping her hands clean as if she had just been handling something disgusting.

Byleth didn’t know what exactly made her snap. Perhaps it was the unwanted and misunderstood emotions rolling inside her chest, seeking a way out before they could harm her instead of the person that had caused them. Maybe it was the victorious smile on the mage’s expression, Byleth's previous hatred of the woman for reasons that she couldn’t really tell. Maybe it was how the girl was lying on the floor, clutching her waist and whimpering softly, the sight pulling something white hot inside the thief.

But then, she also couldn’t tell who was more surprised at the fact that not only was her face reflecting a murderous sort of anger that was dangerous on someone like Byleth, but also on how she stomped her way to the mage and ordered in a low, menacing voice.

“Stop that now.”

Aradia stared at her, tilting her head and frowning at the order. “But she was about to hurt you and honestly, this has been taking way longer than it should given that those are noble brats we’re dealing –“

“Reverse the spell.” There was so much ill-contained anger in those words that the mage instinctively took a step back, magic faltering but not stopping even when Byleth’s grip on her sword became stiffer.

It was a threat if she had ever seen one, as loud and clear as if the woman had just yelled her will to the four winds. When the girl on the floor (someone familiar that Aradia couldn’t really place) gasped, tried fighting against the dark magic that was stealing what remained of her energy but nothing was done to stop that from happening, Byleth grunted and closed the distance between her and the mage.

Looking back, she should have anticipated what happened next, as the indigo-haired woman was completely on edge and one might even say out of herself for some reason or another. Even then, Aradia screamed in pain when she was hit on the side by the hilt of a sword and fell to the ground, all wind and control on her magic knocked out of her to the point that the spell was forcefully interrupted.

“Byleth, what the hell?!” She exclaimed the moment she was able to draw breath once more, a hand on her waist and another already conjuring white magic to heal the wound that would most definitely be there.

However, as she turned to face her fellow thief, the second-in-command and daughter of the boss, Byleth was paying her no mind and had already approached the fallen noble, the girl with silver hair that was grunting a little bit too much given that the magic had already stopped flowing between them.

Yet nothing was more surprising not just for her, but for every one of the Blade Breakers that had watched that scene and been there for the fight, than seeing how gentle and careful Byleth was while moving the girl so she could face her and the sky. A sentiment that was strengthened when she gathered the noble from the floor and made sure she was as comfortable as possible.

Byleth stared down at the scared expression on her face. She had tried her best to keep the girl as safe as possible during such a conflict, even if that meant she literally had to turn against her own. Somehow the action had felt natural, a mere reflex born from the fact that the little one shouldn’t be harmed. That Aradia had committed a transgression when that spell did connect with her and made her be in so much pain.

That same pain was etched in the pale gleam of her cheeks, in the fearful lilac of her eyes as they glanced at the woman who was now carrying her. In that glance which was questioning, almost ordering the thief to let go. In the way she kept moving and squirming against Byleth’s arms searching for a way out, trying to put some distance between herself and her captor.

If the woman was reading her correctly, it was almost as if she were fighting not against the present, but a long-forgotten memory of something similar, something that had both marked her and ended with her suffering in some way or another.

“Stop fighting me.” Byleth whispered with the gentlest voice she could muster, a far cry from how she had pretty much just yelled at Aradia a few seconds ago. But then, there was no reason for her to be mad at a hurt girl who simply wanted her freedom.

Couldn’t she see that she was too weak to keep going, to walk to safety before people worse than Byleth got to her? Namely some of those in her own gang and a few others that inhabited that area, who would be more than merry to taunt, rob and hurt someone like her, what with how noble she seemed to be just by her demeanor and the way she had fought.

There was no way a knight would get there in time to protect her before another bandit would – and somehow, a voice within Byleth also warned her that she would be even more in danger between knights as well, especially those from the same organization than the ones that the three brats had been with. No, there was no other way thanks to Aradia, though a part of the woman’s mind wondered if she wouldn’t have done something similar in other circumstances as well.

Sure, the girl was tossing and turning with whatever strength remained in her body, her attempts as futile as if trees tried holding onto their leaves come fall and winter, but something inside Byleth felt different because of their proximity. Light, maybe, though she didn’t really have the necessary words to describe what was going on in that moment. Only that she had to make sure no harm came to the young one, no matter where it stemmed from.

And if that meant tearing down the Blade Breakers, that was exactly what she would do.

“Let… go!” The girl squirmed, muscles straining against the pain and exhaustion that had been settling in ever since that battle began – and even more so after the strange turn it had taken.

“You’ll be fine here. Don’t be scared.” Byleth looked straight at her eyes and tried smiling, a gesture that was unpracticed and only meant to inspire trust, to make sure she understood that it would be ok.

For a few seconds Edelgard did stop moving, gaze roaming over her captor’s face and heart speeding up as it found something familiar about that, about her in particular. Something… calm and reassuring, as odd as that was given the situation she seemed to be in, but at least it made the trembling in her hands stop. At least, it halted the memories of her past and their horrible procession, of all that had happened back at the dungeons once she was taken away by someone as well.

Then the moment was shattered once another bandit fell into step beside the woman who was taking her away from the monastery, his voice menacing and ominous in each and every word.

“What the hell are you doing, Eisner? You can’t be thinking about taking this brat back with us.” He said, running a hand on his upper arm as blood collected there from a recent wound. Given how there was an arrow in his hand, Edelgard assumed he had been shot by Claude a few minutes ago.

The princess looked back at the thief that held her, that carried her with a gentleness that was completely at odds with the fierce, determined and undeterred way she had battled and slaughtered the Knights of Seiros. Yet no matter how many seconds passed there was no response and she only pushed through the forest, glancing around trees here and there to make sure they were on the right track.

After some more minutes of that the man gave up, sighed and shook his head with annoyance, then went away after uttering a string of profanities so awful that Edelgard blushed the slightest upon hearing them.

“Did he upset you?” Byleth spoke at last, eyes down at the floor while they made their way over a part of the forest that was more winding vines and big roots than soil, her steps ever so careful in order to not hurt the one she was holding close.

A cursory look over the girl revealed nothing more than some blood on her waist where the spell had hit her, but other than that there were just some half-healed cuts on her cheeks and a tear or two on her clothes from a previous battle or something. That was good, that would be more than easy for her to fix as an apology or…

Somehow Byleth knew that it was her duty to do so the second she thought about it, as if it were just the most natural thing in the world too. Which was funny given that the Blade Breakers never took prisoners or ransomed people – a rule that she didn’t really understand, as getting a noble kid or another and selling them out for a good sum of gold wasn’t that bad of an idea.

But apparently someone had been abducted a while ago and the whole ordeal had left a bad taste in Jeralt’s mouth, though no one had ever told her the full story on the few times she asked. She had just shrugged and stopped asking questions that would make people look at her with wide eyes and strange faces she couldn’t really read.

“N-no.” The girl answered, glancing towards the receding mountain line, the monastery that she was unwillingly leaving behind. And within herself, at the jumbled emotions that made no sense, such as the fact that her heart rate was gradually calming down and her body was relaxing on its own volition.

She had been through so much worse, so many days spent awake and completely fatigued given how bruised and hurt she had been… there was no way she was going to actually succumb to tiredness while being taken away by a new captor, right?

“Good. Let me know if anyone does.” The woman’s eyes fluttered in her direction before going back to the ground, her feet nimbly avoiding a tangle of roots between two trees that stood so close together, it was as if nature had bound them so.

“Where are… you taking me?” Edelgard queried as a languid torpor started taking her over, her eyes opening and closing in quick succession. The need to rest was becoming too overwhelming, or she was growing too comfortable.

Either way, it made some panic course through her bloodstream and yet again she tried moving, tried getting away from the thief even though her efforts were in vain. After watching how the woman had fought, the princess knew it was a blessing that she was still alive – she could have killed Edelgard one too many times in the blink of an eye, even more so now that she was just lying there, helpless and weak.

“Somewhere you’ll be safe.” Byleth answered, cradled the noble closer once she almost lost her hold. “Don’t fight, you’ll get even more hurt if I let you fall.” 

Regardless of the words of advice, the girl kept doing her best to get away, though it only ended up tiring her more and making her eyes feel heavier, her mind in a dream-like state just like the ones she usually experienced seconds before falling asleep while back at the dungeons.

Soon her struggles were reduced to nothing more than pointless wiggles that were broken by the seconds in which she actually did fall asleep, body going limp against the woman’s arms. The small reprieves were punctuated by awful images that were part memory, part distorted nightmares and horrors that her eight-year-old self had seen and gone through.

Nevertheless, those were enough to jolt her awake with heavy, awfully cold anxiety traveling through her veins. The adrenaline which came from both the beginning of a bad dream and her being jolted awake because of it gave her some strength with which she tried fighting off Byleth - but of course that resulted in the woman holding her closer still and waiting until El's body finally gave up on her.

It happened once they were right in the middle of the woods, before the halfway point from their meeting place to Remire village. Suddenly Edelgard went completely limp and didn’t wake up again for the last few minutes, with the Byleth stopping on her tracks to make sure everything was fine. She was well aware of her companions who were following her lead back to the place, their weary, curious gazes boring holes into her back.

The ogling intensified the second she halted and sat down on the floor so she could better support the girl, then free one hand and check first her temperature (for some reason she sighed in relief once she realized there was no fever, but her cheeks were a little bit too pale for Byleth’s liking anyways) and then her pulse. Since both were satisfactory in some form, she gingerly got to her feet again and went on her way, adjusting Edelgard’s arms and chest over her shoulder so Byleth would be able to walk more comfortably anyways.

The forest was fully surrounding them as of then, tree branches and tall grass brushing against their calves as they made that procession back to the village, Byleth in front and being followed by people who were questioning not only their temporary leader, but what had just happened in the mission as a whole.

Sure, so they had gone back to the knights that had been killed and gotten all the materials, armor and weapons they could from them. And yes, they had discovered some food, gold and more supplies back in a clearing not so far away from where they had intercepted the students, so there was that too. But to take a hostage, one that Byleth had refused to battle and was treating with gentleness as well? That was just too weird and made them gossip, whispering among themselves while they kept their distance from the fearsome Ashen Demon.

The same scary woman that had made so many nobles and knights tremble was holding a girl with all the care in the world, as if that was way more important than their missions and their motto of staying as far away from authorities as they possibly could. Aradia herself was doubtful of the entire thing and not because she had taken a blow to the waist for her troubles either – though Mila was surely going to laugh until she was in tears when she saw the bruise and heard the story behind it too.

No, the entire ordeal was completely unlike Byleth from beginning to end. The hedging, the dancing around one noble girl who meant nothing to any of them. The words the young thief had said to Aradia and the tone that had colored them in all the reds and blacks of a proper menace… the mage couldn’t even remember the last time the woman had spoken to her to begin with, much less in such a form.

And for such a silly reason such as the fact that she had hurt an enemy, no less.

Even so, she wanted to stop Byleth from making a mistake that could put all of them in lethal danger. There was no way to tell what kind of noble that kid was, but regardless of what the answer to that could be she would still attract attention to the Blade Breakers and put them under the radar of knights and foolish people with a taste for adventure.

No, that had to be halted before it could become reality. Not that Aradia was about to approach the woman and say something about it, as she had already gotten too much of a taste of what could happen if she were to antagonize Byleth about that matter, but even so.

Luckily Markos had read the uncomfortable, troubled expression in her face and silently nodded, then took the necessary steps that separated her from the youngest Eisner before falling into a gentler pace beside her.

“Why is she coming along?” He inquired, uncaring that Byleth was technically above him in the general, questionable rank system that existed within the band of thieves. He had never been one to respect a leader no matter who they were, unless a blade was being held to his throat.

Of course there was no answer, as everyone knew how few words Byleth was prone to using when addressing people. Her communication was mostly made through gestures, the way she would nod and follow along if she agreed on something, or hang back and look away when she didn’t. However, he had heard the few sentences she and Aradia had exchanged earlier on and hoped this time he would be the one to talk her out of taking a prisoner into camp.

“She’s trouble and you know it. Too many people coming after us because of one kid, is it really worth it? What is she to you anyways?” He went on, uncaring that she wasn’t replying. The way her hands curled around the girl in question as if to keep her closer were all he needed to make sure that she was indeed listening. “And do you actually think Jeralt will let you keep her with us anyways? You know he’s not one for ransoming people, much less a thing like her –“

A low warning growl and a scathing glance were thrown his way, both gestures surprising him since it was tough to recall the last time Byleth had reacted to something, anything at all, in an emotional way. Usually she would face stressful, awful situations in the same way she would look at peaceful afternoons and evenings spent in front of a river while sharing spoils from the latest heist.

Hence no one could blame him for being morbidly curious of what would happen if he kept pushing. The trick was how to do so and not irk her to the point she wouldn’t listen to reason anymore.

“We’re thieves, not rescuers or prison keepers. Yeah, we might be able to get something neat for her, she does look the part of one hell of a noble if you ask me. Like, high ranking, old family noble, but ain’t really worth the risk. We got good stuff in the raiding alone and it’s not as if we’re stealing for need too.” He went on, his tone somewhat softer while trying to formulate what his next words would be. “And if you want a friend or someone to warm your bed, all you gotta do is –“

“Shut up.” She said at last, the tension in her jaw revealing how much these two words hid behind them. A threat similar to the one that Aradia had gotten before being hit a few minutes ago.

Yeah, Markos thought, it’d do no good if he pushed his luck that far, would it? Apparently he wouldn’t get any answers on that night and he was pretty sure no one else would, not if they approached her like that.

“Just think this through, you're smarter than that. And we know Jeralt’ll have your head if you actually walk into camp with –“

“I’d like to see him try.” The woman’s voice was low and menacing. Hwe grip on the girl tightened again, to the point that she squirmed a little against Byleth’s arms; as a result, the thief loosened up the slightest. Harming the little noble would do no good and she wasn’t even the culprit of those weird, unfamiliar feelings running through the thief to begin with.

But Byeth would be damned if she wouldn’t get a good punch on whoever else that attempted to talk, threaten or convince her it’d be better to leave the kid in some corner or another of the forest, by the edge of a castle or anything of the likes.

At least Markos left her alone after that and so did everyone else in the band, their fears about her behavior and how unreasonable she was acting about something like that too volatile for them to deal with. So they didn’t and she was able to once again focus on the girl’s slow, steady breathing, the next step she should take in order to not disturb her and how there was a new sensation coursing through her entire body due to that encounter.

How, above them, the new moon allowed the stars to shine and witness a moment that they had been anticipating for almost a decade. 

It had been a while since Edelgard had enjoyed a slumber devoid of nightmares, one that actually made her feel as if she had rested instead of being tormented all night by memories and feelings she did her best to suppress during the day. Yet that had been the case right then, when she slowly came by and beamed at the first thought she had, about sleeping in peace and actually being a bit more energized. She wished this would go on and was left wondering if being away from the Enbarr palace had finally had the effect of allowing her mind and heart to relax, to distance themselves from a past she had constantly been reminded of even when above ground.

What she had gone through underground was reaffirmed by the absence of sound, of company and warmth once she returned from the darkness below. Moreover, her uncle’s and those strange mages’ presence around the place she had called home were enough to remind her how things had been different not so long ago.

So she smiled and almost hummed, somehow content with herself for what she considered a more than successful nap, and would perhaps keep doing that for a while if waking up didn’t mean she also became more and more aware of her surroundings, of snippets of reality she could perceive even with her closed eyes.

One, she wasn’t resting still, but being carried by something or someone that was moving in a steady, gentle pace that made some flashes of pain rise from her waist and take over her body.

Two, she wasn’t lying down in a bed or lying down at all, but had her chest pressed against somebody’s shoulder and a hand keeping her head steady, an arm wrapped around her knees.

Three, when at first she only heard muffled sounds of steps around her, after a few seconds those changed into something more as feet hit stone instead of grass and soil. And her eyes, which had apparently gotten used to the almost total darkness of that night, also registered ululating flames to her right.

She gasped and flinched, causing her captor to hold her tighter so she wouldn’t fall. Her mind started recalling what had happened a few… hours? Minutes ago? She couldn’t tell for how long she had been asleep and that woman had been carrying her, the thief that had avoided fighting her in the craziest, most unreasonable battle of her life.

Surely Byleth noticed Edelgard was awake, for the hand in her head slid down to her shoulders and awkwardly petted it, as if to reassure and soothe the girl. Funny enough it only had the opposite effect since the princess squirmed even more and looked around, realizing they were arriving in a small village of sorts, a gloomy place with few houses and a bonfire in the middle of it.

“Easy now, we’re almost there.” The woman whispered, sensing her discomfort and how she started fussing immediately upon waking up. It would be tough to help that kid if she didn’t trust them – not that Byleth blamed her, as it wasn’t every day that someone was actually aided by bandits instead of having their lives destroyed by them.

Well, as soon as she took her to the little house she’d claimed to herself in between waiting for the students to show up and getting things sorted, she would… What would she do? And no, even before she could start thinking about that, what had possessed her into taking that girl away like that?

Yes, the kid was hurt and had been in nothing more than sheer agony after Aradia had hit her with dark magic, in a way that Byleth had never witnessed during the many years she watched the mage harm their opponents with it. Sure, she had a vague memory of how exhausting and hurtful it was – though she had no idea why she could recall such a thing or when she had fought the woman, but she wouldn’t put it past her since she could barely look at the mage without feeling some sort of revulsion for her. And she was well-aware that given their line of work, this wouldn’t be the last time they’d see something like that happening.

But why had that entire situation moved her into stopping and helping the girl out? And what was that thing which burned through her chest, that sensation that was white hot and hurt in a way that had nothing to do with the one nip on her back that a knight had landed, the second she had stopped to watch the noble in her arms fight one of her comrades?

Byleth shook her head as she wasn’t one to overcomplicate things. It’d all disappear once the brat was healed and sent back on her way, or maybe they would press her for information on how to raid a castle or the sorts – since they had a noble in camp, why not make use of it? After the disaster in finding Nuvelle, they would need another grand mission to heighten their spirits and make them believe that they were indeed the greatest thieves that Fódlan had ever seen.

And hell if there wouldn't be bonus points to their own sense of self if they could talk a noble into betraying her own kind.

Yeah, that was all there was to it, the woman decided once Remire got into sight and she watched some of the Blade Breakers sitting around the bonfire they had made in the middle of town. She could already smell roasted meats and knew some spirits were more than likely being passed around, that the few villagers who had remained in their homes after the raid were probably watching and wondering when they would be safe to go out again.

When the silent threat of those that hadn’t bothered with their possessions as long as they weren’t rich and obnoxious, would move on and more normal thieves would begin terrifying them again.

Her eyes roamed through the shabby stone ground, the lack of decoration in what was supposed to be the plaza and the simple, hay bale houses and light wood roofs that surrounded it, that stood a safe distance away from the bonfire that could consume them. Mila and a few other robbers were laughing too loud, in the drunken way she had associated with her father though he was nowhere to be seen and all sounds except from the flames crackling stopped the second they turned to spot her.

Her, the people behind her that looked uncomfortable and sheepish as if something was their fault, and the distressed girl Byleth was carrying in her arms, one who gasped when the hand on her back started absentmindedly caressing her. 

The sound and the hiss that followed seemed to bring the woman back to reality, as she stopped the movement and mentally apologized, then remained still while the others scrutinized the party that had just arrived from the darkened forest. Their expressions ranged from amused, scared and interested, eyes focusing more on the noble and what she could represent. Most were already too drunk to actually pass any judgment, something that Byleth was more than ok with given all the words she had already heard on her way there.

“You back!” Mila yelled, getting to her feet in a movement so swift that she would have fallen if Aradia hadn’t rushed to her and held her close. That made the drunk healer giggle, press a sloppy kiss against the mage’s lips. “Thanks, love, you want some bee- oh.” The last word had an annoyed edge to it, as she finally realized she had spilled the contents of her cup in her excitement to greet her partner.

“Later, sweetheart.” Aradia rolled her eyes and set Mila back on her feet, then winced since she had hoped she would get healed soon – her wound had been throbbing way too much during the walk back, almost as much as a certain cut in her lower back that had never stopped bothering her even though almost a decade had passed since the day it was inflicted on her.

The one responsible for it glanced at them with empty, vacant eyes that turned the slightest bit unwelcome once they settled upon Aradia only, cornflower blue becoming darker before moving away to stare at the others gathered around the fire.

“Where’s Jeralt?” A woman who had gone with Byleth asked, beating her to the question.

“Ah yeah, he left a while ago. Said we should follow his kiddo's orders and go meet him closer to that awful black and red villa we saw along the way.” The guy used the roasted lamb leg on his hand to point at Byleth, though everyone knew who he was referring to anyways. “Something about making sure the Lord Regent knows we ain’t messing around.” He shrugged, though it did nothing to conceal the excitement that was so clear in his grey eyes.

Something about that sentence made the girl in Byleth’s arms freeze, her body stiffening for one second before she went back into struggling on her grasp again. As much as the woman wanted to ask or soothe her in some way, she knew better than to try and get an even more adverse reaction from the kid. She didn’t feel safe right there and then, probably wouldn’t until someone gave her a reason to do so.

Well, Byleth was more than happy to comply.

She nodded at that and walked away, deaf to the yells asking about Edelgard and what she was planning to do with her, why she had come back with such a bounty. The house she had taken stood to her left, the first in the little circle around the plaza since it allowed her a strategic view of the woods. Back then, when they had been told about the students visiting the woods for something or another, she had had no idea how far into the forest they would go and it felt reasonable to get herself a spot in which she would be able to watch it all the time.

It was just an extra that the house was the prettiest in the village, made of imposing dark wood instead of hay and had doors painted in silver. She opened it with a gust of wind magic and a kick of her boots, then lightened the candles scattered around the place with a practiced fire spell; the disheveled, small space flaring into light before she closed the door. 

Now she was alone with a girl on her shoulder that was breathing too fast, in a room with just two old, black couches full of holes close to the wall on her right, a rectangular table and white square chairs that had seen better days to her left and two more doors located after a hall in front of her, one to a bedroom and the other to a small kitchen. The windows on the right were heavily draped, though the flowery design on the cloth had already faded due to how ancient it probably was and some places were ripped as well, a recent add on to the decor.

With that and some fresh bloodstains on the floor, courtesy of the Blade Breakers invading the house and fighting the so-called knight that used to live there, Byleth was sure the girl would trust her even less just by looking at the place she had been taken to.

There was nothing to be done about it and she pressed forward, walked the last steps towards the bedroom and shut the door behind them once she was in. That space was smaller, consisting of one huge bed under a window, a shelf full of books on history and the likes across from it and a red rug on the wooden floor. It certainly looked a lot less ominous, but not the sort of location a noble had ever set foot in, at least in Byleth’s mind.

She got to the edge of the bed and shifted her grip on the small girl while leaning into it, then carefully deposited her down before she could even realize what was going on. One look at those still pale cheeks, at the wide eyes and all Byleth could read on them was fear, anticipation on what would come next.

The conviction that whatever it was, it wouldn’t be any good for her at all.

“You’re safe here.” Byleth whispered, somewhat glad the panic had at least made the kid stay frozen since it would have been more difficult to move her around if she had kept fighting like before.

“Safe, in the company of a bandit that killed the ones who were with me.” Her voice was laden with sarcasm, but underneath it the woman could sense the same jittery feeling that was in her lilac eyes. She didn’t move because of that as well, but her expression was set in determination, in a will that Byleth had never seen before.

One that was probably the exact opposite of hers, as more often than not she had overheard people calling her listless, stoic and numb – except for the moments in which her father or Aradia tried antagonizing her.

“I… understand.” Byleth did, as weird as it seemed since she had given the girl no reason to doubt her. “Your wounds need healing though, uh… I don't know your name.”

“Elle.” Edelgard said, yet her eyes gave her away since she glanced at the other side of the room while saying that and the woman sitting down on the bed simply tilted her head, a quiet question. She sighed, unwilling to reveal who she really was after all. There weren’t many people with her name and she  _ was  _ among thieves to begin with.

Thieves that probably hadn’t even realized how lucky they had gotten when one of them decided it was a great idea to abduct a girl that was no more, no less than the future Emperor of Adrestia.

However, there was something of a smile on the woman’s face when she kept staring at her, a light dancing inside her cornflower blue eyes that made the princess’s heart slow down the slightest. Her fists unclenched and face relaxed, though an annoying pain coming from her waist was still torturing her. A small voice in her mind whispered that it was ok, that she was ok.

That she was more ok in her company than she would ever be back in the monastery to begin with.

“Edelgard.” She said at last, trying to get up but wincing as her side flared in pain. She distantly recalled being hit by dark magic, the same that the mages of her past had inflicted upon her as a punishment and someone else before them…

That memory had always eluded her, in the same way she never understood why storms at night were so melancholic to her.

“Easy there.” The woman didn’t touch her, but indicated that she should lie down for the time being with a nod of her head. “You aren’t seriously hurt I think, but the wound should be tended to anyways. Name’s Byleth, by the way.”

The girl froze with those words, some unease returning to her expression as her mind wondered about what she meant with that. She couldn’t possibly mean –

The reaction came before Edelgard even understood what had happened. One moment Byleth leaned forward, one hand meaning to reach the princess’s shirt and more than likely pull it up to expose the place where that spell had hit her. Half a second later Edelgard gripped her wrist and twisted it, causing the woman to hiss while she gasped in surprise and fear.

Her releasing and swatting the hand away before moving as far from the thief as she could without falling from the bed were mere, useless measures meant to protect her – she had seen Byleth’s hand clench into a fist before stopping in midair, only to harmlessly fall beside her a second later.

She didn’t apologize, not as her heart sped up again and the thief caressed her wrist with her other hand, her face blank and assessing while her eyes ran over Edelgard. In between the fright brought by the thought that her body and the myriad scars that were etched in it would be exposed to a complete stranger, the princess felt a tinge of shame at reacting like that. And at the fact that she was sure the woman could read how uncomfortable she was with something so silly.

“Let me treat it for you. It was one of my own that hurt you after all.” Byleth said at last, breaking a heavy silence in which they just looked at each other and she saw the girl’s defenses clouding her irises once more.

“No. Please let me be.” Edelgard managed to speak and was proud of herself for keeping a stable, albeit annoyed voice. She knew she ought to be a bit more grateful, after all the woman was offering her help when she could have already killed the princess more than once.

Yet it was the first time something like that had happened, that the marks her past had left on her had almost been exposed to a complete stranger. One that was doing more harm than good by trying to aid her when it wasn’t her place.

And given the circumstances, it was already startling that she had once again been taken away from where she was supposed to be; it was becoming tougher and tougher for her to not slip back into memories she would rather not recall. She gripped the bedsheet with all the strength that had already returned to her, reminding herself she wasn’t lying on a cold, stony floor.

That there were no mages with long capes and weird masks coming for her anytime soon, as she was between thieves that knew nothing about what they were doing, or at least so it seemed. At least so she could choose to believe.

Byleth probably read something or the other in her gaze, as she relented and acquiesced before getting to her feet in one gracious movement that betrayed how seasoned of a warrior she was. It made the carefulness in which she had been handling the entire situation seem way more at odds with the way she had battled and destroyed before.

The light smile on her face, a contradiction to the listlessness with which she had dealt with the Knights of Seiros, known as some of the most skilled warriors in the entire continent, and almost disposed of Dimitri and Claude with a blink of her eye too. Of course that raised the question as to why Edelgard herself had been ignored or kept aside when Byleth had approached, but there was already too much she was having to think about without adding that little dynamic.

“As you wish.” Byleth said, then made her way to the door and probably meant to leave, then recalled something and added: “I’ll get stuff so you can patch it up yourself. I’ve heard of people dying from big infections because they let smaller gashes go untreated.”

Before Edelgard could answer her, yelling that she didn’t need her condescendence, care of anything of the sorts – that the only thing she did need was to be returned to the monastery and the year of classes she would have at the Officers Academy – the woman was gone, closing the door behind her as softly as she could.

One second later she heard the sound of a lock and sighed, knowing she was in more trouble than she had thought before if the “kind” thief was really planning on keeping her captive. Granted, her "cage" was way more comfortable than the first time around and she had yet to be threatened, hurt or questioned about anything other than her name, but it didn’t mean she was as safe as that Byleth seemed to suggest that she was.

Not that she would ever be safe in one way or another, not when she had been planning a war against the esteemed church of Seiros to begin with.

She winced at the thought rather than the pain that still radiated to her chest, the memory of the spell that had put her in such a bad position yet again (though she didn’t understand why her mind had gone with “yet again” since something like that had never happened before, right?) and all that she would have to deal with afterwards.

Because unless she found a way to go back to the Officers Academy or convince the thieves they would gain nothing from keeping her there, she would have her uncle and Those Who Slither in the Dark to deal with – that was, assuming they hadn't come to her “rescue” because she took too long with the merry thieves and failed to solve the issue herself.

And while Edelgard would rather not have to choose between either being abducted by weird robbers or helped by those that had harmed her so much in the past, she would easily stay with the former instead of the latter. And also do everything in her power to keep the bandits away from those mages and the likes. But none of those were ideal things or even scenarios she should be entertaining. Those things wouldn't bring her freedom, only imprison her in one way or the other.

There was only one thing for her to do right then, wasn’t it?

Yet before she could move Byleth knocked on the door, opened it and placed a basin filled with water, some bandages and a few ground herbs over the bed. The princess’s body locked once more as the woman watched her, listless cornflower blue eyes dancing with something soft that was probably meant to soothe her and it did, at least for a few seconds. The few seconds before the thief paced away and said in a gentle voice:

“Call for me if you need anything. I can get you some food if you’re hungry and the likes. But do rest.” No matter how curt those sentences were they didn’t really feel like orders, just suggestions which were given with a touch of concern that both irked and surprised the girl.

It was actually a relief when she was alone again, her eyes focused on the plain wooden ceiling and not the sky that stood outside the window for once. It wasn’t as different as the roof of her small room back in Garreg Mach, neither of them offering the comfort she had been seeking whenever she thought about the chance of freeing herself from the palace and the designs of those that had run over her life for so long.

So much for being imprisoned by others who would impose their will on her as well, so soon after she had escaped one cage.

Her body was heavy and sluggish when she tried moving it, a cage of its own due to all the combat practice and real combat she had gone through in one sole day. Her scars still throbbed in response to the dark magic, a dull pain compared to the blossoming one that encompassed her waist. She knew she should tend to it, to make sure no new mar would be added to the web of taints that were already part of her.

That made her unable to let someone heal her, but also made it unbearable for her to stare at her own body as well.

Hence the healing objects that Byleth had gently taken to her were ignored, the thought of having to look at herself because of a wound unbearable after dealing with so many other triggers in one same night. It shouldn’t have been that bad, though the mage had hit her with powerful magic not unlike the ones that she was subjected to when tortured or punished by not cooperating.

Again, the recollection made a shiver run down her spine and she gradually turned toward the window, cursing at herself given how similar this felt when compared to a few days after she had been back to the surface. How hard it had been to sit down and talk for more than half an hour, let alone walk as Arundel had demanded of her.

She had done it back then because of his wish, his terrible words about her and the need to keep up with decorum since important news about the new power dynamics in the Empire had been given soon after her return. Which meant that she had to be able to do something similar right now, to move against her will and take herself to safety even if it meant she’d risk falling along the way and really getting injured.

Her arms were limp when Edelgard placed her palms against the mattress and tried rolling to the side before getting to a sitting position, a trick Hubert had taught her back in those days of recovery. Luckily this time she wasn’t as harmed and spent as after the experiments, so her body responded quickly and after a few attempts she did it, the pain on her side exploding when those muscles were slightly stretched due to the change in position.

There was no frown on her face or a gasp of pain on her lips, just sheer willpower in her eyes when she placed one feet and then the other on the floor, pushing to a standing position after barely testing her balance. As a result she did almost fall, though luckily the place was small enough that the wall was close for her to hold on to, a support while she made sure her legs wouldn’t give up on her and alert Byleth that something was going on.

At least the thief had trusted El enough to leave her on her own without supervision – or she hoped so, but she was sure she had heard sounds of steps going out of the house a few seconds after the bandages were delivered to the room. That had been Byleth's mistake, as although the door had been left unlocked this time, the window was literally right beside the mattress. It was also open and inviting, calling her into the dawn that was gradually coming, tinging the horizon with a shy light that made Edelgard give a victorious beam.

For once she would actually leave behind the darkness that some people attempted to shroud her with. For once she would walk towards the light and the open skies instead of being kept indoors, a captive in different cages.

After a few minutes of struggling, of forcing herself to go beyond her limits and ignore the pain, fatigue and fear that surrounded her each and every move, Edelgard managed to climb out of the wide, tall window that thankfully overlooked not the square where everyone was gathering for some event or another, their voices loud with the exuberant fire and the smell of food, but the peaceful forest that offered her respite.

Byleth was at a loss about what had been going on for the last hour or so, her mind in a daze unlike any other ever since the moment Edelgard (Eldegard, wasn’t it?) had woken up and glanced at her with those familiar, grounding lilac eyes. For as much as they were lost in their own feelings, the fear and uncertainty of the unknown, they also held Byleth in their own fierce grip, calling to a past she couldn’t recall in a way she couldn’t explain.

Not that she needed to rationalize any of it, the myriad sensations she wasn’t really able to name and that coursed through her body, giving her extra energy even though she had been up for a long time and also fought some knights along the day. Yes, they had been nothing really worth her while but for their armor and very fancy weapon, aka some of the things she and the rest of the bandits were sorting through and claiming right then, just as they did every single time there was a raid.

The bonfire stood between the circle they had formed while sitting down, far enough away from the flames so they could actually handle and appraise their prizes, enjoy their food, the rest of their alcohol and anything else that was brought to the table.

They yelled instead of talking and more than once Byleth had seen villagers’ faces timidly peeking through windows and doors to make sure everything was fine – or only out of curiosity, brought forward by the delicious smells of roasted meats and the few vegetables some of them enjoyed.

The woman had some fish on her hands and watched two new members of the team fight over a piece of armor that was all shiny and amazing-looking, with designs in green and white over the breastplate and gauntlets.

No matter how fancy it was, it had been very easy to break through with nothing but a flicker of Byleth's sword. She had half a mind to let them know that it wasn’t because something shone or seemed to be pretty that it was instantly a good catch, though she was well-aware of the other bandits chuckling at them - there was some sort of initiation rite to newcomers in which the wiser thieves would allow them to make their own decisions, gather their own provisions and learn such things along the way.

Great thieves weren’t made in one day, Jeralt used to say and just this once she was inclined to agree with him.

It took a while for the two men to settle the dispute, long enough for Byleth to consume at least two slices of fish nonstop. Being on the lookout for all those days had made her hungry already, but battling and actually carrying someone in her shoulders was even more exhausting. It was worth it, she told herself while gathering some bread that she had left near the fire and turning to bite into it…

Only to catch a set of eyes falling longingly on the loaf in her hand, then disappearing behind a window once they noticed that Byleth had seen them staring. 

She tilted her head, now deaf to her thoughts about the girl she had rescued (though apparently Edelgard had another opinion on how to call the entire matter) and the voices of the other Blade Breakers who were now haranguing over a sword that Byleth had almost snapped in half with hers.

The thieves had noted from moment one that Remire wasn’t an exuberant place, even though there was a villa located a bit further away from there that seemed to have siphoned all the riches and resources from the entire land. The fact that some of the residents would more than likely be staring at them with something like envy and want shouldn’t be a surprise to Byleth now that she stopped and thought about it.

Also, given how young that person who had been staring was, it made something stir inside Byleth so that she ended up gathering more food than she could possibly have by herself in an entire week.

“Chief?” One of them inquired, a new recruit that had followed her due to how impressed they had been with her prowess on the battlefield. Many did become part of the Blade Breakers for that reason alone, for the opportunity to train and learn with the fearsome Ashen Demon, to be by her side and not against her.

No wonder why some of the older people, the ones who had seen Byleth grow, tended to say she had an entourage of fans inside the group as it was. 

They watched her move not back to the place she had been listlessly occupying in the circle around the bonfire, but away towards one of the houses, the shabbiest in all of the village. There was silence around the bandits while she waited on the front door, unsure of what would be the best way to approach the villagers without scaring them or making them react badly, dangerously as well.

Those people had yet to show some sign of resistance toward the thieves, or any indication that they were about to gather whatever weapons they had and fight them off, but Byleth was well-aware that her comrades would respond to the slightest thing they perceived as a menace to one of their own. Especially a “leader” that was as revered as Byleth was within the circle.

Hence she waited, head tilted to the side while she appraised the door and thought about what to do next, the holes in the decaying wood catching her attention. A second later she decided to treat that as a normal visitation and rapped on the door after shifting some of the food to her other hand.

“Cap? What are you –“ Another thief asked, then fell silent once she briefly turned to face them and shook her head.

“Y-yes?” A scared-looking lady asked once she opened the door just a slit, gaze darting all around the gathering and the strange, stoic woman in front of her. One that stared at her in silence, her hands filled with supplies, face devoid of anything that she could read and determine whether or not she was in trouble for something she couldn’t remember doing.

She yelped when she felt small hands curl around her knees and glanced down, eyes wide with the same terror that had made her heart race once she realized her child was there despite how many times she had told them to stay away from the “bad people” that had taken over Remire.

A sentiment that was strengthened the second she noticed that the mysterious thief was looking not at her, but at the child she had tried to protect with her life.

“Go back to your room!” the lady yelled, voice trembling due to the mental image she got of her kid being dragged outside and harmed by those people. “What have I said about –“

“Miss?” The girl went on, pretty much pushing her mother behind her and standing outside in front of Byleth. “We hungry, miss.”

For the woman’s and the thieves’ surprise, Byleth not only gave the child a small, reassuring smile that was more on her cornflower blue irises than on her lips, but also crouched so she would be on the kid’s eye level and offered everything that was on her arms as well. Both mother and little girl gasped, unsure of what to do since they hadn’t really expected that request to be heard, or for a bandit to give instead of take away.

It was as unknown as the fact that only one of their homes had been ransacked and that no further harm had fallen to the villagers, but even so. It was impossible to really trust outlaws and their distorted sense of morality, their faithlessness and everything else that made them evil in the eyes of the world, right? That was why people of Remire had been sure the Blade Breakers were only torturing them, enjoying the notion of having them fearful and vigilant all the time as they waited for their attack, only to strike once the poor citizens would least expect them to.

And yes, although the lady did accept those provisions after remaining frozen in place for a few minutes, watching as Byleth passed the bread to her daughter and told her to eat, that notion wasn’t changed right then in any case. Maybe those bandits were just smarter in some way, doing small and big gestures like that in order to lull them into a false sense of peace. Maybe they had even been putting up an act during and after that was done, pretending to be taken aback by Byleth’s actions and gossiping amongst themselves about it after the door to the poor abode was closed and a relieved, happy kid had hugged the listless Byleth.

Unknown to them at least for the time being, that scene had also been witnessed by a princess that was doing her best to get away from there and remained hiding behind the trunk of a grand tree. Edelgard hadn’t been able to walk much, let alone do all the running she had been planning to while back in the room and lying on the bed.

Her entire body was more tired than she had anticipated it to, than she had thought it would be since she had been hit by one spell only and not the plenty that had scarred her back in the day. Even so, making her way to the forest had been miserable, painful business, yet again the echo of a past she wished to lay to rest.

It had gotten to the point that she knew she would have to sit or lie down anytime soon before her body did it for her, but what sort of escape would that be if she did that a few meters away from her captors’ headquarters? Also why had they chosen Remire of all villages – and why did it seem as if they hadn’t taken it over completely anyways?

That last act of kindness from Byleth, if she could even call it kindness and not some advanced technique of robbery, had her even more baffled at the entire ordeal. It was clear that she wasn’t dealing with conventional, senseless bandits that did what they did for some sort of pleasure that they got out of making people suffer. No, if that were the case she wouldn’t have been placed on a mattress and offered help to heal a wound or the likes, but harmed and used for their fun in some way or another.

And the village, well… The village would probably not be standing as it was too; she had heard enough about how some outlaws loved seeing things burn, and given how flimsy and flammable those houses were, they would have had a grand time setting it on fire as well.

On a more spiteful note towards her uncle though, if Remire was supposed to be a significant village in Arundel territory then he had been doing a very bad job of managing and helping the place.

Edelgard chuckled at that thought, as having any sort of criticism towards Volkhard and his companions always felt a little heartwarming after what she had been through – outlining their incompetence in some issues, of which there were plenty at times, was a favorite of hers. So she made a mental note to either write to him about the state of his own territory or confront him personally for the sheer joy of watching his reaction as soon as she was out of that mess and back at the monastery.

For that to happen then she should stop looking and start moving, she thought as she saw Byleth go back to the circle of thieves around the bonfire, get another fish for herself and roast it, as if completely unaware or uncaring of the way everyone else was staring at her. It was tough to say which was the case with that woman based on their previous interaction, but surely she wasn’t blind to the fact that more than half of the circle was silently questioning her sanity while the other portion admired her in some way, right?

Regardless of what the answer to that question was, there was no time for her to waste. Fighting against her urge to lie down on the edge of the forest and forget what that night had brought her, or why that woman seemed to draw her interest and attention in an unnatural way, Edelgard suppressed a grunt and started walking once more, her legs heavy and mind running with too many thoughts.

She was so lost in the mystery of it all, on everything that she couldn’t solve and couldn’t keep her mind away from even if she knew she should, that she didn’t know how much time passed until she had to lean against another tree, breathless. The pain at Edelgard's side had drastically increased with her effort to run, to put some distance between her and Remire. The few moments in which she had actually tried running despite her entire body threatening to shut down had been torturous, something that she would rather not have to go through for too long despite how resilient she liked thinking she was.

The forest looked a lot darker there as the trees formed a blanket of their own above her, blocking the sunlight that was prone to emerge as dawn slowly fell upon them. Luckily it wasn’t really that cold, not enough so she could be immobilized by it, though she shivered in her Officers Academy uniform and started questioning her decision to run without any provisions to help.

There was no weapon she could use to defend herself with if the need showed up. She didn’t have any food and her stomach growled in protest since she couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten something to begin with – probably part of the reason why she was shivering as well. Nor did she have any idea of how to go back to the mountains since she had indeed fallen asleep on Byleth’s shoulder and couldn’t tell if they had changed directions on some point or another.

_ It will be fine _ , she told herself while panting, grabbing a tree for dear life once her knees buckled.  _ Surely by now Dimitri and Claude have reached the monastery and some knights will be sent to look over this area. Once I see one of them, I shall be safe. _

The sneer that came on her lips at the word “safe” given how it had been recently used by someone else with a different connotation, was a welcome respite to how gloomy her thoughts had gotten, how they had a tendency to do so whenever the situation she was in.

Yet if nothing, that gave her some motivation to keep on going, to press forward and mentally thank Byleth for being naïve enough to believe she would just comply and stay inside the house like some good girl or another.

“How can a thief be that foolish, I wonder.” Edelgard mused out loud, the pressing silence laced with darkness unnerving her all of a sudden. “One would think she would have the decency to make sure all escape routes were completely closed off, not –“

“I was wondering how far you’d make on your own.”

The low, slightly mocking voice scared the princess out of her thoughts and made her yelp as her heart sped up and her body tensed. Her hands instinctively went to a weapon that wasn’t there a second before her muscles gave up on her and she fell, only to be gently held by the same arms that had caught her before, keeping her close to the woman’s torso for support.

When she opened her mouth to scream, a hand covered it and she could only watch as Byleth leaned in to whisper in her ear: “Be quiet. We got company and I’d rather still have the element of surprise to help us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, a happy new year and thank you so much for all the love you've given this fic in 2020! Really, it meant a lot and now we can move on to... The adult years xD
> 
> Wonder how long it will take for them to remember, or if the monastery won't eventually get in the way of them being together, right? 
> 
> Hehe in any case, I hope you've had some good holidays and that this year treats you well. Have a great rest of your week and thank you!


	25. Considerations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After battling some knights that showed up in the woods and were getting too close to Remire, Byleth and Edelgard talk a little.
> 
> Upon returning to the village they're met with a situation that makes Byleth react in an insteresting way.

Edelgard was no stranger to how the element of surprise could change the tides and flows of a battle from the beginning, sometimes dooming those who had been unaware of the possibility of a fight or the fact that they were at the very least being watched. Her family had been completely, easily subdued by Arundel and his friends back in the day because the Emperor didn’t suspect that some of the nobles that had sworn loyalty and services to the throne a long time ago were actually conspiring against Ionius’s centering policies from a rather long time, for one.

Moreover, well, she was hoping that would also be the case when she finally attacked the church of Seiros and helped to end their dominion in Fódlan. And finally, the same tactics would once again be used against those that had destroyed not only her family, but many others that had perished in the name of what they called “science”, in the name of what Those Who Slither in the Dark called their perfect weapon, the one who would bring forward their liberation. 

That was, if said weapon wasn’t being held down and muffled by a thief of all people, one who had pulled her behind a tree so they could get a better understanding of what was going on, who they were actually dealing with.

And for all that El did know about being imprisoned due to her past, the gentle way in which she was being held was something that surprised her way more than the fact that she was, well, an actual prisoner again.

“Stop fighting against me.” Byleth whispered in Edelgard’s ear, not the littlest bit annoyed by the situation. If she had been thinking about keeping the girl and ransoming her later on then she was surely doing a very bad job about it. “Those people could be worse than me, you never know.”

The girl had half a mind to answer that she thought it would be tough to actually find someone who was worse or more dangerous than her, but bit back the remark since it would all come as groans and unintelligible words anyways. Rather, given how tired she was and how her muscles had pretty much given up on her a few seconds ago, she simply relaxed against the one holding her and decided it would be better to save some energy for later.

Who knew, maybe those silhouettes they saw in the distance, darker against the blackened forest, could manage to tire Byleth and help Edelgard escape because of that. As long as she played dumb and complied to what was being asked of her, she might get a better chance of returning to the monastery like that. Her one hindrance between all of that was the woman holding her, not even her fatigue – she knew she would be able to push herself some more if she weren’t trying to outrun a vicious bandit or two.

“Better, yeah.” Byleth commented, her eyes trained on the people who were moving a little to their left, studying them with a precision that amazed the princess since that was the same woman that had left a window open in a room that was supposedly holding a captive.

Although those figures were silent, there was a faint metallic sound that came whenever they moved around, something they did a lot while glancing this way and that. Their steps followed an order, a precision that was almost mathematical, practiced and exact to the point that Byleth and Edelgard could understand there was a lot of training behind it, behind them as a whole.

There were faint outlines of weapons behind their backs or on their hands as well; the moment they stepped closer to the girls, they could see the glint of silver and steel, as someone in the back was carrying a torch that suddenly illuminated the otherwise dark setting, explaining why Edelgard and Byleth had been able to distinguish between them and the dark forest to begin with.

Given how El had been with some of them all afternoon long the day before it took her no time to recognize their gait, the organized formation they kept at all times and the high, almost imposing and intimidating aura they exuded. As if they were more special than everyone else, at least more than every other knight around the continent as a whole.

There was no way to stop the grunt she gave against the woman’s palm when she realized how ironic it was that she was about to place her life, her entire destiny, in the hands of a few Knights of Seiros - whom she would more or less dispose of lately once the war was declared. That she needed them to succeed right then and there so she could be free to snatch Fódlan from them.

The more she thought about it the more upset she got, though nothing was worse than having Byleth look at her with an inquisitive, borderline mocking glance (it was tough to say with her, sometimes it felt like each and every emotion was so fleeting Edelgard had imagined them more than anything else). The princess scowled, unafraid for her own life even if common sense told her it wasn’t the most prudent thing in the world to defy the thief who was keeping her in place with such minimal effort.

“Friends of… no, wait. Enemies of yours?” She queried, her tone distant and trying to determine where exactly they were trying to go, if they actually had a destination in mind to begin with.

Given how the girl had reacted to them in a mixed but mostly negative way, it did seem like the latter more than the former. Which sounded even weirder as Byleth considered that those guys had probably come from that strange school - she had been foolish enough to let two brats run away and alert others that the girl had been captured, so that was entirely her fault. She wasn’t sure at that distance, but something about the aura of superiority around them irked her to no end, reminding her of the knights that had almost laughed at her and been so sure they would win.

She wondered how sure of themselves they had been when her weapon struck home and life was drained from them, though she couldn’t recall how she had undermined them. Her instincts were sharper in battle or at least she had been told, but there were few to no combats that she could recall throughout life.

The worst was a situation, a particular fight which loomed just on the edge of consciousness. One that spoke of a rainy night when dark purple lights had been thrown around and something… someone… had been taken away from her.

A second later that vision was gone and she shook her head, eyes widening the slightest when she noticed that if knights kept going in that particular direction, they would reach Remire in a few minutes or so. That surely wouldn’t be good; even if they were worse warriors than one would have thought given their pomp and circumstance, the last thing she wanted was to attract more attention to the village and her crew.

The Blade Breakers would use whatever excuse they had in order to criticize her for taking Edelgard with them. If Jeralt ever dreamed that they had to fight actual knights from a huge school in the mountains that sounded like a very important and prestigious space, he would certainly make sure she was pressured into releasing the girl somewhere.

And since she would rather keep her close instead of having to be separated from her for some reason that she couldn’t and didn’t want to find out, her next decision was as natural and simple as it had been to pick up El from the floor and take her along.

Byleth loosened her hold on Edelgard just the slightest and for a brief moment, if only to position her better so she could go on with her plan. It had been sheer luck that made the girl escape without being completely healed - though the woman would make sure to say something or another about the entire matter later on, especially since El frowned and winced once the bandit’s hands ghosted over the area where Aradia’s spell had hit.

“Stay here.” Byleth ordered after placing Edelgard on the floor, having to hold her a bit steadier since she almost collapsed on the ground without support. The princess’s eyes narrowed into slits as she was moved around and just deposited on the cold ground, even if that was done with care.

The thief stealthily approached the knights that were still completely unaware they were being watched; she could feel a pair of lilac irises burning holes on her back, but somehow that made her smile for the briefest second before her attention turned to the people in front of her once again.

There were more soldiers than she had anticipated; assuming their technique was the same or only a little bit better than the ones she had defeated before, their numbers would still be irrelevant to her. In any case they wouldn’t stay on her way, provided they spotted her to begin with since she would remain hidden for as long as she could. Things would be worse if they yelled and alerted others that could be close anyways.

Also, for some reason she would rather not cause too much of a ruckus near the girl or enough to alert her team that there was something else happening at the forest.

The first knight was an easy target given how close to the trees they had been, their steps slow and at ease, almost as if they were taking a stroll around a historical site and not on what she supposed was a mission to rescue the girl she had taken. That alone was enough to raise some questions, especially relating to how special a single student could be in order for that many knights to have gone after her, but that wasn’t really as relevant right then as was the fact that she had to make sure they were out of her way and that she should be make a quiet, quick business out of it.

Her hands went around their throat and snapped it before they could even make a surprised sound at the sudden contact. Their body fell forward and she grabbed it, lying them down close to her before anyone could even notice that they were gone. It was more luck than anything that they had been further away from the group, but that only meant she had one less person to deal with, not that her issues were completely solved.

And given how some of them were indeed alert to their surroundings and looking around, above and underneath them, maybe she would have to do some fighting right then and there instead of simply acting in the shadows as she had been doing thus far.

Funny how for the first time in a long while instead of just rolling her shoulders, grabbing her weapon and walking head first into the battle, she hesitated for half a second and glanced back at Edelgard, her hunched form and scowling face before actually running to the next person close to her.

This time her sword was at her side once she finally found someone who was standing a little bit apart from the main group. She wouldn’t be able to keep going like that for too long, but at least she was able to get three more people out before the rear of the party turned to face her with a surprised, inquisitive stare.

Her weapon ran through the closest soldier before they could even draw their own to defend themself, then was yanked out to land a precise downward slash on the next knight that dared getting close to her, making him fall to the ground with a groan.

It was tough to say why, but in that battle alone it took longer for Byleth to get lost in the heat of the fight, way longer than it had usually happened for the last few years. Usually by the time she had spotted an enemy she would already have forgotten everything else around her, including who was friend or foe if any of the mercenaries tried stopping her in some form. To remain conscious for a while, even for the smallest sliver of it, and be able to recall how a match started and a bit of its progression was something completely new to her.

Meanwhile, Edelgard noticed the change in her demeanor the second it happened, how her more carefree approach to the entire operation vanished the minute one of them turned to face the princess and yelled to the others that the girl had been found. Then and only then did Byleth's sword become more precise, her slashes more dangerous and her technique somewhat known and familiar, as if speaking to another time in her life that she couldn’t recall and was lying underneath cold, darkened mists.

She wished she could move, but her body was too fatigued for her to try getting to her feet and much less to make another full run to the edge of the forest aiming towards Garreg Mach. She had been hopeful the second she had first spotted the knights in the distance, the glimmer of their armor and their sheer numbers giving her some hope that things would be nice. That soon enough she'd be back at her quarters and wondering if everything hadn't been just a dream, a light dream to distract her from the nightmares that had plagued her for so long.

Watching them get decimated one by one after Byleth decided it was no longer time to play with her prey and just go for it was a strange, bittersweet experience. On one hand her heart was beating fast due to the idea that everything that had been carefully created around her was crumbling to the ground because of an inconvenience, something so small yet so possible that no one should have ignored it while making the war plans to begin with.

Yet the sight of Byleth being that capable, her sword striking true no matter what and meeting her targets in such a rapid succession so that they never had any time to retort, to parry or defend themselves, to call for reinforcements if any had been close was mesmerizing to the point that she was unable to glance away from it. And somehow Edelgard knew it wasn’t the sheer violence or just her technique that was pulling her in, her right hand closed at nothing and fingers positioned as if she herself were grabbing a sword. No, it was the fact that it was speaking directly to something that was stirring beneath the surface but still managed to draw a reaction from her, that she wasn’t sure if she should feel surprised or scared about.

If she should find a way to get away from there before she was the next that the thief would point her sword at, or if she would be safer behind Byleth than within the monastery, the church or with her strange allies.

In any case, that was a formidable fighter she was looking at, one that she shouldn’t completely disregard when it came to her plans of overthrowing the church. One that could more than likely be swerved to their side with the right persuasion, the wanted amount of money and sweet promises. Which bandit wouldn’t like to be at the Emperor’s service after all, especially when asked to plunder the holy monastery lands and its riches?

Too soon it was over, the knights' brief battle cries and disgruntled communication broken and turned into the deathly silence of the night, the almost dawn that was reaching them and promising the beginning of a new reality onto someone who had already been forced into plans that weren’t really hers, submitted to wishes that had undermined her essence and her own for too long.

When Byleth approached her with stoic eyes, her cheeks, hands, arms and weapon stained with blood, Edelgard recoiled all the same due to the vacant expression in her irises, the most blatant change being the lack of light that she had seen before. How it was threatening to consume her own fear of the situation and everything else around it.

To consume her own consciousness if she dared to stare for too long.

Then as fast as it had happened the entire thing was gone. The person in front of her seemed to really be Byleth and not the strange, twisted version of a bandit that the princess had seen.

The woman dropped the weapon and crouched, looking straight at Edelgard’s eyes with her stable, listless blue ones. She wiped blood out of herself with a brusque, fast gesture, almost as if she wished it hadn’t been there to begin with. As if she didn’t want to hurt or scare the girl in some form.

“Who are… were they?” Byleth asked, casually taking a seat and watching the girl edge away from her. It made her chest hurt for some reason, but she waved the matter away and focused on what was right in front of her first. What she needed to know at the moment in order to make a careful, calculated decision.

Edelgard frowned, blinked as if her companion had said something absurd and looked away, to the ground and the blades of grass that stood tall, some of them marred by steps that had recently been taken. By her captors or her supposed saviors, the ones that now laid in a clearing not too far away from them.

The question wasn’t repeated even though it also wasn’t answered right then, but Byleth’s gaze lingered on her, making her squirm under its intensity and the way it softened instead of hardening while seconds passed and she had yet to utter a word. No threat was uttered, no brusque movement was made with the objective of forcing her into talking, into confessing or anything of the sorts.

No, the woman just watched her, the way she tried shifting away in order to avoid that glance or the place where they were in, though from time to time Edelgard would break and look back at her captor to see if there was any change to her demeanor.

Any indication that she had only been playing with the girl, lulling her into a false sense of security, only to strike once and for all when her guard was down. Unfortunately that was a technique she knew very well and had fallen prey to one too many times during her days in the dungeons of her own home.

Maybe those memories were the cause of her current state, her heart beating too fast and too painful for her to actually say something. Maybe she was once again hearkening to the pull of a past that hadn’t been kind, to waves of panic and hurt that hadn't been watched over by the moon but left to their own devices.

Right then and there those waves were stifling her, acting as constant reminders of what people were able to do. Of what could happen to her again now that she was no longer in the safety of the monastery grounds with other students and professors around her.

Which was ironic altogether, considering that she had been planning to attack that place and make those who could oppose and chain humankind in a different way that she had been shackled yield and give up on their plans. Garreg Mach had been a temporary haven from the beginning, but a haven nonetheless with the new people she had met in the brief days she had been there, the other kids that had seemed familiar to her for some reason or another.

But now there was nothing standing between her and an armed thief, one that had offered to heal her before, that had shown considerable prowess when dealing with enemies no matter how they outnumbered her or how much stronger they looked in comparison. That same woman was the only thing standing between her and the world at large, the wrath she would face from her uncle once they found out that she was missing and they came after her.

And for all of that, for all the possibilities that seemed to be even more out of her control than they had ever been as the slithers conspired around her, making her their centerpiece for the grandest even in Fódlan history according to them, she felt her throat constricting and her breath quicken. Two signs that made her grimace once the bandit’s face became inquisitive and she tilted her head, eyes widening in concern.

“No one’ll hurt you.” Byleth added, kept her hands where the girl could see them and eased her posture, slumping forward and trying her best to look harmless.

It was something hard to do due to the fact that she was indeed an outlaw and she was starting to suspect that Edelgard belonged to a prominent noble house, a powerful and important house to that day. Also, given how there was blood on her limbs and on the sword that had been dropped pretty much between the two of them, she knew the last thing she seemed to be right then, or would seem to be no matter how much she tried improving the setting, was harmless.

“I just wanted to be sure we’re safe.” Byleth added, wondering what else she could say or if she would ever get an answer from the distraught girl. It was the most she had talked in years and it felt strange to be having a one-sided conversation as well, but then everything about that situation was strange.

The bottom line was, there was a noble in front of her that she didn’t feel like robbing or destroying in a mission, but needed information from – and, if she was being honest with herself, wanted to keep close to her. for as long as she could. Even if Jeralt did do them part, at least she would be able to recall those moments they had been together, the fact that she had attempted to make sure Edelgard’s life was out of danger.

Which reminded her…

She knew the girl would probably feel a lot worse if Byleth were to reach forward and touch her waist, the place that she had been hit by Aradia’s stupid spell. And unfortunately the black uniform she was wearing didn’t allow for her to precisely see if there was a bandage over the wound or not, even if now it was a bit torn at the sleeves due to her trying to run between tree branches and the likes.

Given how far she had gone from the village of Remire and the speed in which she had been walking though, and how overall adamant that girl seemed to be, it didn’t take a genius to understand what had more than likely occurred.

“You didn’t tend the wound.”

It was more a statement than anything else but she didn’t care too much about tone right then. Even more so when her sentence had the desired effect of making Edelgard shake her head, her breathing slowing down the slightest, expression going from astonished and scared to angry and indignant. No matter the reason for such a reaction, it had at least distracted her from whatever was making her lilac eyes darken with the weight of something unspeakable.

“I don’t trust you. Those bandages could very well be poisoned for all that I know.” The girl spoke at last, still hunching over and trying to make herself as small as possible. There was a bite to her voice that Byleth found welcome though, as she would rather deal with a furious noble than a panicked one.

Funny how that sentence was only true to that particular noble in front of her, as overall a scared royal was way easier to be robbed than anything else. Easier still if they were dead, but that was neither here nor there.

Though there  _ were  _ some dead bodies in their vicinity that might have a weapon or two that could be of their interest in any case. Or a piece of armor, something of value that she could take back with her alongside the girl.

“Fair.” Byleth nodded, then sprang to her feet in one fluid movement that made Edelgard flinch as well. Apparently she would have to be careful with those, something she made a mental note of before turning away and facing the clearing once more. “I’ll be right back.”

Edelgard could only watch Byleth go away with a determined step, her gait still as sure and rested as if she hadn’t been in not one, but two battles in which the odds were against her in the last six hours. Had she taken no damage at all, even though she had fought none other than the esteemed Knights of Seiros on both occasions? Would it really be that bad of an idea if El managed to recruit her to the Empire after she was done being at the woman’s mercy?

Well if she really wanted that to happen, then she would need to make the woman… trust her. And if there was something that thieves liked almost as much as gold or weapons, that was information.

One step at a time though. Edelgard centered herself by focusing on whatever Byleth was doing on the clearing, piling bodies for whatever would be useful to her. Given the bandits' dominion over Remire, the princess was pretty sure they weren’t stealing for the actual need of resources to survive, their reason a completely different one that she couldn’t really fathom as of them.

But whatever the case, they would need to find a next target soon. Being successful or somewhat successful on their raid against the Garreg Mach students wouldn’t be enough, especially considering how many people El had already heard and seen complaining about the fact that now they had an unwanted guest to deal with and only because Byleth willed it so.

Which meant she had both a great opportunity of turning things to her favor and also probably not enough time to do so if she really wanted that woman to join her cause – which she did, the way Byleth had managed the Knights of Seiros could help a lot with morale and training for her entire troop. Who knew, maybe the princess would even make the thief a general and let her command, train some people herself as long as her loyalties were in the right side of the conflict.

But for that to happen, Edelgard would have to look beyond her current situation and her mind yelling at her that something awful was about to happen, that the thieves would make her go through the same experience she had as a child. Not only was it impossible and illogical, it would make things a lot difficult if she just let it have control over her instead of the other way around.

Hence when Byleth returned to the place they were in with at least two swords, a lance and three bows in hand, the princess had a calm, careful expression in her face. A second later she uttered, without letting her voice warble with the fear that was still coursing through her veins no matter how brave she knew she had to be:

“They were the so-called knights of Seiros and they work for the church, as you know.”

“The knights of… Sirus?” Byleth frowned, unsure of why it seemed that the name was supposed to tell her something, anything at all. Maybe it really was, since the girl was eyeing her as if those words alone were supposed to answer her question instead of adding new ones to her head. She felt foolish for asking, but did so anyways: “Who… is Sirus?”

Only to grimace when the girl flinched away from her as if she had just been punched or heard the most stupid joke in the world. “It is hm… Seiros. Seiros, as in the church?” When Byleth just shook her head and stared at her with empty eyes that seemed to want more answers than simply that, Edelgard thought that either she had stumbled on the funniest thief in the world, who was trying to make a jab at her, or the most oblivious person that had ever walked through Fódlan thus far.

The second option was very, very valuable to her future predicament and intentions, even if she didn’t believe it to be the case at all. One could only dream though, right? The odds that she had literally been kidnaped by someone that she could mold, that she could take into an army of her own were actually really low.

But then she had found Ladislava and Emile in such similar circumstances, hadn’t she? A kind soul in the middle of the crowd when she had needed it the most, a proficient warrior hidden in a mansion that had once hosted his family, before they had had to walk away from everything…

Was she about to add a gentle, curious thief that had literally taken her away from the monastery into her fray?

Well, her uncle would really have a time if that was the case, but she would deal with him when she had to deal with him. And that was assuming she would be able to meet him again and they would talk face to face as well, since being taken away by outlaws that weren’t clear about what they had done didn’t make things any easier on her social schedule.

“Have you never heard of the church of Seiros?” Her tone was exasperated, her eyes widening in surprise once the woman shook her head. “Incredible. There are some lucky people out there that have managed to survive without being under the guise and the rule of the church after all.”

“Some of the Blade Breakers mention a goddess from time to time. Is that what you’re talking about?” Byleth’s tone was conversational, again as if she were having a talk with a friend instead of speaking to her prisoner for information.

“The Blade… yes, that hm, that must be the same goddess that the church praises and imposes upon us as the creator of everything.” She rolled her eyes at that, though her heart was beating at triple speed at the mention of the band of thieves she had tangled herself with for some reason or another.

She hadn’t heard too much about them as she had spent most of her life cocooned inside a castle and being prepared to step into her role as the Emperor, but her ears would perk up on the few times when they were mentioned by a noble or another.

Now she was face to face with one of the most fearsome thieves in the history of Fódlan and all she could think of was how that woman had grown up without hearing about the church of Seiros and the knights that served it to begin with.

For a brief second she wondered how interesting it would be to see Rhea’s face if she ever were to meet that Byleth, a person who had absolutely no idea about the archbishop's power and influence, the scripture she liked to preach to the four winds as the true history of Fódlan.

“Must be a lonely job for someone, creating everything.” Byleth mused and Edelgard had to stop herself for laughing at such an absurd statement. “So this religion has an order of knights too and I suppose they were after you. Were they your friends or foes?”

That last part had been added since it hadn't escaped the woman's mind that the girl didn’t seem to be too keen on all that religious talk, nor had she protested the death of people who were apparently in service of said church to begin with. She realized it was the right question to ask when Edelgard glanced away and stuttered something or the other about it, though none of the words jumbled together made up for a coherent answer in any case.

“I.. don’t understand.” The bandit said, though a small smile crept over her face at the absurdity of it all.

It should be an easy answer, right? Nobles stuck close to knights, paid them amazingly for them to laze around and protect them on the few occasions that they were needed. But that girl, a royal from her speech to her posture even when she was slumped and looking way too tired to retain all that pomp and circumstance, was stalling, speaking grand words or half sentences that meant nothing and showed that she was trying to let her mind have some time before it came to a decision after all.

“They are part of the school staff – the one amidst the Oghma mountains.” Edelgard started again, her cheeks warming up the more she realized how pathetic she looked. Again, Arundel would have loved to see her like that and would have laughed at her until the end of the days.

She knew it would be absurd for her to talk about the coming war that soon and how she would have faced those knights that supposedly were there to save her one day or another. But the words had almost slipped from her tongue regardless, would have done so if she hadn’t learned control from such an early age.

“And my companions, those two boys, have probably returned and warned them that I was taken.” The princess went on, trying her best to make it look as if the entire ordeal was nothing special, that the woman and the Blade Breakers hadn’t almost killed the three future leaders of Fódlan in the same night. “Hence they have come after me, not that you had any qualms about disposing of them.”

Byleth shrugged as if she had done nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe for her it had been routine, another battle that had gone in her favor as it probably always did. “Ok. Do you think they’d send more people after you?”

Edelgard didn’t know how to feel about the fact that she was being consulted even though that woman was literally her captor. And that everything she was saying was accepted without a shadow of a doubt, which made her wonder if she could fool the thief into doing her bidding or something of the sorts. Lying wasn’t tough for someone who had had to pretend everything was fine within the Empire and her family as well.

“I would like to say that they have much better, important things to deal with than one of their students being kidnapped as it is. They are the church of Seiros after all.” Her tone was casual, her eyes betraying some uncertainty at the whole issue. “Albeit they did bother to send those knights to begin with…”

No matter how tragic and tormenting that situation was, there was also something comical in watching Byleth tilt her head and waver her gaze from the girl to the patch of the Garreg Mach monastery she could see behind them, looming between the mountains as a fortress of its own. There was something about the rocky structure, the turrets and towers that stood on their own around the rocky formations around it that called to Byleth just as the girl in front of her did. However, the pull which seemed to come from the noble was a lot stronger in a sense, a lot clearer and more righteous to begin with.

It pulsed with an energy of its own, one that told her that Edelgard would be a lot safer away from them, from that place and the knights that surrounded it or the so-called religion it stood for. And the outlaw knew better than to doubt herself, instinct and intuition guiding her throughout her life as much as the sword and magic that she could use with such ease.

The moment she let those strange sensations that she couldn’t really understand pinpoint what she should do next, her course of action became clear. She got up, slower this time in order to not upset the girl, and offered her a hand before saying:

“I think they’ll be back and you shouldn’t be there. Which means you come with me.”

“Oh, should I?” Edelgard bristled, a natural response to her being bossed around like that. She knew she had no choice and honestly, she would rather be around the thief than left alone in the middle of the forest as dawn was coming, illuminating the sky with faint, eerie lights. Though somehow it was interesting to see the bandit come to that conclusion by herself. “You must think really highly of yourself to assume I would be safer amidst you and a gang of outlaws.”

Byleth shrugged, her eyes fluttering between her extended hand and the princess lying on the cold, hard floor. That surely wasn’t comfortable, was it? And there was still the fact that she was hurt to make it all worse – and what kind of person would she be if she just left her lying there? These were thoughts that ran through her mind, but she had never been one for too many words.

Rather, that was indeed the first night in which she had spoken so much for as far as she could remember, though there was something about that girl’s speech that felt vaguely familiar and entertaining.

Something that made her want to talk some more too, but that was neither here nor there. First she had to make sure everyone was safe so they could have these conversations without needing to look over their shoulders after every ten seconds to check if anyone was going to attack them.

“You’re free to correct me if I’m wrong.” Byleth retreated her hand and stepped closer to the girl, internally wincing when she recoiled and her back met the tree once more. “But I’ve yet to see you speak one good thing about them and how they’ll save you from me.”

“I – I am no fool to believe that it would be the case. I have seen you fight them as if they were nothing but mere recruits.” Edelgard glanced away, closing her eyes when the bandit approached her and, in a swift movement, picked her up from the ground as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Must you always do that?”

“Yes, you’re still hurt and I don’t think you can walk all the way back anyways.” Her hands were soft while adjusting Edelgard better so her head would lie on Byleth’s shoulder, almost as if they were embracing and no one was actually a prisoner. “And you’re under my protection as I said before.”

The princess huffed, unsure of how to react and what to say. She couldn’t deny the shared body heat was good since the cold floor had started reminding her of older days when chilliness was all she knew. What was worse, her eyes had been drooping once more, her body escaping from the control she had always done her best to exert over it.

The control that was once again taken from her as the thief went back into the forest without a word to the girl in her arms, but a smile that the princess couldn’t see.

Once they arrived at the village the sky was a beautiful palette of shy blues and yellows, the oranges and pinks about to leave the horizons as the day actually began. Luckily this time Edelgard had been conscious through the whole trajectory, no matter how much it pained her to fight against sleep.

But then, it would  _ really _ be the best thing ever to have that woman witness her having one of her night terrors, responding to nightmare versions of the slithers and all that was done to her before. Byleth probably already saw her as weak and useless, in need of help all the time or whatever – it would only make matters worse if that occurred as well.

Not that she had enough of her wits to actually memorize the way from the woods to Remire, but even so. As long as she could show that she was reliable, there would be a bigger chance for the bandit to take her seriously – and later on, to take her up on the offer of being part of the Imperial army. Not that she had any hope it would even work out, but who knew.

It wasn’t as if that particular outlaw was the most predictable or logical one she had ever met to begin with – but then she had never met a outlaw before, had she? Not aside from the thugs she had hired to show up in Remire and failed to do so for some reason or another, though she wondered right then and there if the Blade Breakers had something to do with any of it.

Speaking of, there was no trace of the other thieves once they did arrive in the town, only ashes and remains of a bonfire party dotting the small plaza as an afterthought, the discarded bottles of spirits adding color to an otherwise hopeless place. It was a relief to both of them that no one else was there since the last thing they wanted was to return from that fight only to be gawked at and scrutinized with more judgment from those that were supposed to be on Byleth’s side.

Not that the woman could blame them – she herself had no clue as to why that girl was still in her hands, when she had had more than enough opportunities to dump her somewhere and move on with her life.

The only location in which she did deposit the young noble, however, was the mattress in her house once they were back there again, the room walls shining with the natural sunlight that was set upon it, making Byleth wince when she realized the girl had been awake all night long.

“You should sleep and get some rest.” She said, watching Edelgard laboriously put herself in a more comfortable position. “I’ll get you something to eat for when you’re up.”

“You don’t have to bother with me.” The princess’s eyes narrowed to slits, her previous sense of anxiety at having things falling out of her hands, out of her control, returning one more time right then. Her one chance of getting away had become nothing and there she was, back at where she had begun the night. “Surely you have better things to do than playing housemaid.”

“True enough." Byleth whispered and leaned forward to close the window before getting to the door. "I hope you like fish." She added before walking away, deciding she had some weapons to sort through and clean before passing them on to the Blade Breakers. 

And an excuse to give as to where the hell she had gotten so many nice, silver stuff to begin with in the middle of the night.

Yeah, maybe she would be better off finding another way to deal with the little things she had gotten from the knights, she thought while softly closing the door behind her and chuckling since the last glimpse she got of Edelgard was of her frowning, as if thrown off guard by that exchange.

It was fun to do that and watch her reactions, the way it seemed that she didn’t expect for Byleth to do that instead of, oh, who knew, maybe torturing her for information or the likes. Yes, she did want to get some insight from a noble about how to better ransack other nobles, but that could and would wait. 

What couldn't wait though was how she was almost smiling to herself once more as she contemplated the weapons in the living room and wondered if her best solution wouldn’t be to melt them and turn them all to metal she could sell, mold into something better or just strengthen the ones they already had at their disposal. But then a weapon was only as powerful as its yielder and she had done more damage with a tree branch than the most amazing silver sword at times – it wasn’t as if she was needing the boost, nor the rest of the Blade Breakers lest they started relying too much on that and too little on training.

She was about to let the issue rest, waiting until another option presented itself to her when her eyes wandered outside and caught on a scene she hadn’t expected to see, something that was new or that had repeated itself over the years. And whereas her initial steps towards the window were tentative at first, the second she understood what was going on she rushed outside, new silver lance in hand.

“… we gave you three whole weeks to come up with the payment, how dare you say you don’t have enough?”

At the plaza that was littered with remains from the thieves’ party there was a soldier dressed in the noble reds and blacks that signaled him as a member of the Adrestian guard, the eagle emblem over his silver armor another telltale sign. His helmet was under his arm, his expression angry, dark eyes set as if the villager in front of him was the most awful thing he had ever seen in his entire life.

Behind him and barely visible unless one was at Byleth’s vantage point and chanced to look at the edge of a forest that stood to the other side than the one she and the girl had emerged from was a line of horses in pristine whites and blacks. Their demeanor and that of their riders, as well as the banners and weapons they carried were enough to let the woman know that was more than just a messenger that was passing to collect taxes, as they often did once the year began – in fact, it had been odd that she and the Blade Breakers hadn’t seen any of them as of late.

No, that was an armed party intent on destroying everything in front of themif the gold or the resources they were meant to collect weren’t given upon first sight.

The villager that faced him was none other than the mother that Byleth had given some food to just a few hours ago. Others were peeking through their windows, scared eyes showing timidly for one second or two before going back to darkness in fear they would be seen and punished for it. The woman herself trembled, wishing she weren’t there, that the royal guard had forgotten them after a year of bad crops, too many bandits and zero to no help coming from the church or the Empire like they had requested.

But as always the nobles were deaf to the pleas of those who had to suffer the consequences of having no riches, crests or champions to vouchsafe for them.

“Th- this was a very bad year for crops, sir.” She informed him, doing her best to keep her voice steady and not cower under his relentless gaze or the gleam of the axe hinting from his back. “I know the lord Regent needs help and our taxes but there is nothing that we can give. We have no food for us –“

“Spare me the theatrics and your pettiness, fiend!” He spat, barely missing her feet and making her gasp in surprise at the intensity of his voice. “Every village I pass through every year is the same. All you do is complain and make demands to the Crown without even giving the bare minimum to contribute. We need more soldiers, more seeds, more food, more water, you say. And what do we get from you in return? Nothing!”

Byleth lingered in the shadows of the house, listening and watching. Her spear was ready at her side, equally hidden from sight and the sunlight which slanted down around them, casting a weak light that was more ominous than hopeful and helpful given the circumstance. Her and the team had seen the way that the few crops surrounding the village had perished, the forests around them seemed to have few to no animals they could hunt and very little fruit. It was tough to imagine how they had survived this far without outside help and in the end anyone with eyes could see that Remire was in no position to give anything at all. They didn't even have enough for themselves after all and that was no lie.

Not that nobles ever cared about that and the soldier that kept ranting was no different from them. Granted he was following orders, but that was really no way to talk and deal with the issue at hands. Somehow that made a strange, different feeling course through Byleth, similar to what happened whenever Aradia and Jeralt got in her way, and her eyes narrowed in response.

The moment the guard lost his patience with the woman, seeing that she wasn’t about to bulge and go after some secret stash of riches, grain and food that he thought was being stacked away somewhere, he grabbed his axe in a swift movement and made to attack her. The rest of the horses advanced from the forest as if that had been the signal they had been waiting for, the sounds of hooves on rock barely registering in Byleth’s head once her attention narrowed to a focal point, one that decided she despised everything about the soldier, from the vests he was wearing to the aloof way in which he was speaking and the brutality of his ways.

Never mind that she was a thief, that she had killed many and taken away their possessions as well. Never mind that she too had done many things that others might consider unfair to an extent. Something inside of her had responded to his very presence, hissing as if to a memory more than to the present and what the guard represented to her.

After glancing backwards to the house she had left Edelgard in just to make sure she was safe for some reason, she darted with a grunt and used the weight of the silver lance to propel her forward. Her momentum wouldn’t be enough to parry the blow that was aimed at the villager, but it would be more than sufficient to make sure the damn soldier was thrown off tracks at least for a few seconds, so she tackled him instead and was satisfied when him and the riders behind him yelped in surprise at her sudden appearance.

He skidded before falling, his axe hitting the ground with the deafening clatter of metal on stone. His surprise borrowed them some time, which Byleth made use of by turning to the distraught woman and whispering, “go”.

Then before he could recover and raise the weapon to strike at her, a volley of curses and too big words for her to care about already aimed and being shot her way, she bolted to his side and swung the lance, hitting him straight in his unprotected head. He didn't even have time to register her movements, the fluid way in which she fought and the fact that although she was quite outnumbered once more, the Imperial forces were the ones to actually be in trouble.

The sounds of said trouble were enough to rouse some of the Blade Breakers that hadn’t drunk enough to be in deep slumber or dead to the world as it was. A few of them gathered arms without even being told what was really happening and a second later sprung from the the small tents they kept hidden behind the houses, a trick that had paid off since the soldiers yelled in surprise once they realized there were more people for them to worry about than just a woman with a lance that looked too good for her social standing.

That lance proved to be their demise, as were the weapons from those other bandits that had shown up more to have some fun on the expense of the Imperial army than to actually rescue and aid Byleth. Their second-in-command didn't need the rescue and aid at all, she was more than enough to deal with seasoned fighters by herself and they all knew it – but it was fun to fight alongside her and definitely  _ way _ more fun than fighting against her.

In the end it was a fast, cheerful battle that had the thieves cheering and laughing so much they almost cried because of it, the so-called knights completely at a loss about how to behave and retaliate at the most skilled band of outlaws they had ever seen in their time as Imperial emissaries or tax collectors.

Byleth took the spotlight as always, scaring the horses so they would make their riders fall, ending their lives or at least making them faint with a hit of the lance that soon was glistering more crimson than silver. The metal absorbed and dealt blows so swiftly it was almost as if she danced, accompanied the wind that ran through her hair and her muscles, giving direction and momentum to her blows and her steps, aiding in that and whichever way it could.

By then the villagers were no longer shyly glancing through their windows at intervals, afraid of being spotted and punished by soldiers and thieves alike. No, they were on full display, arms crossed over the window panes, eyes either scared for their own lives, curious at what exactly was going on and why it seemed as if bandits had just protected them from the tyranny of the central power. A few, mostly children, were happy, giggling and cheering on Byleth and her comrades.

One had to take what they were given when they had no choice in the matter and all the options seemed awful, right? And just the thought that they had been saved from the law by bandits was too hilarious to be taken seriously, especially by the kids that yelled and called the soldiers the worst names they could think of – even if there was always the risk one day those thieves that had seemed to take some residence in their territory would eventually turn on them.

Yet the second there was no one there but the outlaws who celebrated by high-fiving each other (all except from the stoic woman, who simply wiped the lance clean on her own dark garments) and pillaging the bodies on the floor, wondering if they should go after the few who escaped, no suggestion was made to attack the rest of the village and finally end the towns folks' lives. At first the watchers thought it was because they were having too much fun with their spoils, including a sole rider that had been kept alive for questioning before they realized the person wasn’t worth much more than the armor on their bodies and the horses that were now being tended to by one or two of the bandits.

And when that one was gone too, when the villagers hid once more under their windows and the false safety of their hay walls, the Blade Breakers simply gathered everything that they had gotten from that fight and placed it in a pile in the middle of the plaza then stood around it in a circle, pondering over what to do with all of that.

“Well, more weapons are always a plus.” One of them mused, grabbing a bow and some arrows that were to their liking, testing weight and durability. “And those are way better than the stuff we get even from some nobles.”

“Yeah but I wanna see you taking all of that and the stuff we got from those kiddos yesterday back to the boss.” A woman said, casting a worried glance Byleth’s way before adding in a small voice: “And that kiddo too.”

“The child has to be disposed of.” Aradia stated from the edge of the circle, as she and Mila hadn’t been present in the fight and woke up only a few minutes ago. They held hands, caressing each other’s knuckles with an intimacy that wasn’t lost on Byleth. As if that touch alone was enough to give them strength; “You know the rules.”

Byleth glanced away from her, completely ignoring the issue at hands. The ones who caught her stare flinched, scared for their lives and the anger they could see there. She would not argue that case with a mere mage, one that made her blood curl and hiss in anger for some reason or another.

The one certainty she had, the one thing she would make sure to pursue no matter who tried standing in her way, was that the girl would surely stay.

Instead of answering, Byleth turned away and went to the same house she had visited the night before, the one in which the villager woman had hidden in after being told to run. There was no need for her to knock this time, the door flying open a second after she had stepped in front of it, the woman pulling her into a hug that surprised her, knocking the air out of her lungs and the thoughts from her head.

Had she ever been held like that, even as a child? She had, right, by someone smaller than her yet just as careful and grateful…

The single filament of memory that had tried to surface for one split second faded away once the woman in front of her both thanked her for everything and started pleading for her life, for their lives and for the future of the village in broken sobs and a broken voice that spoke of her panic, of how lost she and everyone else were in regards to that situation.

“Pl- please, we promise to not tell a soul that you were ever here, but spare us, spare this place…” she went on as a knell, a hymn she would chant until either her wish was granted or she died trying.

Behind her in the darkened house, Byleth could once again spot the same child that had asked her for food not so long ago. There was a smile on her face and her eyes shone in gratitude and happiness, as if she and the thief were friends or something of the sort.

A concept that Byleth had surely heard about but never experienced as far as she could recall anyways, but the intensity in the kid’s stare was enough to move her, to make her wrap her arms around the woman and squeeze her the slightest. If nothing, at least that caused her to stop crying and speaking, even if it also drew a collective, sharp gasp from the Blade Breakers behind them.

“Don’t worry.” It felt like Byleth had been saying a lot of that recently, though the only thing she could wonder was if she was being heard to begin with. “We don’t want anything with Remire. But it’d be good if you could protect yourselves.”

The woman let go of the bandit, frowning as much as the Blade Breakers probably were. She could at least hear them tittering and moving, the sighs and stomps that betrayed their impatience and uncertainty towards their leader, a feeling that had been extensively discussed throughout the night after she had left and gave the villagers some of their provisions.

Sure, a few of the thieves had been poorer than poor before joining them and knew well enough what it was like to wonder when they would have a next meal and where it would come from. It didn’t mean that all of them were sympathetic to the woes of the villagers, even after hearing and seeing the conditions in which they were living, the town neglected by the noble that was supposed to look after it once he had been awarded better, more grandiose titles and lands.

That was why they had gotten to the agreement that Byleth should be watched with care, as if she were a child once again and was showing the same weird behaviors that she had back then.

As if the brat she had saved and taken along had something, anything at all to do with it, or with how she almost cracked a smile while telling the townsfolk to get their fair share of the weapons that the bandits had no idea what to do with.

“Are you insane?” Aradia protested, for once not really scared or sorry at the glare she got from the woman in response. “They’ll grab those and kill us with them, is that what you want? Did that kid put you up to that?”

“You have no say in this.” Byleth hissed, the emotion in her voice making every single one of them recoil.

Some had never heard so many feelings empowering her words before.

Others had and for a small second remembered how awful and gloomy those days had been.

“No uh, miss… least we can do is not attack any of you.” The woman said, standing beside Byleth and facing the other outlaws as well. “You gave us food and protected us from those people. We might not be on the same side as you, but we ain’t ungrateful.”

“We should leave this place soon anyways.” A guy said, shifting his weight uncomfortably, eyeing Aradia’s testy caramel irises with fear. It was tough to decide which one looked scarier at the moment, Byleth or the mage. “As soon as the regent dude realizes his gold and taxes didn’t return to the capital he’ll be mad and come looking.”

“Yeah, sounds good. We been here for too long and got those brats as we wanted to do anyways.” Mila nodded; she wasn’t as partial to the new, unwanted addition to the team as many seemed to be, even more so her partner. Something about it had already caused an impact on Byleth or so she could see – a nice, good impact as it was. “And we gotta report to Jeralt, see where he wants to go next since Nuvelle was eh.”

That last statement made some of them groan due to memories of climbing the plateau, then going back down and walking for ages with nothing in sight. Even Byleth closed her eyes and nodded, more than happy with that solution. It would be better than lying around like sitting ducks and waiting until the real authorities showed up and stopped them, as she had a feeling they would.

That maybe carrying Edelgard with them meant there was a target painted on their backs as it was, though she couldn’t really tell why the idea was that strong at that moment in time.

“We leave tomorrow at dawn.” She said after running an accessing glance at the circle, her chest easing up once she saw approval and agreement on their faces. They had grown tired of that small, seemingly peaceful village as it was and probably couldn’t wait for a great heist or another to happen soon. “Get some rest, I’ll deal with the weapons.”

They left her alone at last, not without Aradia casting her one long glance before being led away by an insisting Mila who urged them both to grab something to eat. Once they did, once Byleth was the only one in the plaza, the rest of the villagers sprang from their houses with smiles on their faces that ranged from cautious and polite to wide and genuinely thankful.

Despite her vehement denials that they didn’t need to give her anything in exchange of the swords, lances, bows and axes that each person got for themselves and loved ones that were far away for the time being, they were kind enough to deposit something at her feet. It ranged from heirloom jewelry, some golden coins and finally food, but it was as if something inside of them wouldn’t let them just take from her without giving something in return.

In the end that meant she would have even more items to deal with while packing, but surely small things were easier to be carried than long weapons and such. What with the horses that they had also gathered from the foolish soldiers who had hit the village earlier, everything would be more than figured out before they could leave.

As Byleth was grabbing the last of the bread, cheese, necklaces and rings that had been laid at her feet she felt a strong pull towards the mountains where those three kids had come from according to Edelgard, her gaze lost in that pocketful of rock and grass and sunlight for a while. Then her head turned in its own volition and the house she had been calling hers came into focus.

That was when she saw Edelgard herself staring at her through the window with an unreadable expression, panting due to the exertion of walking there, her lilac eyes set and wondering what that scene could probably mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard is really trying to see this in a positive note, even though she knows things would more than likely get bad if she doesn't return to the monastery soon xD And Byleth's just doing her own things without really knowing why ahsjsjs but they will, promise.   
> But this chapter was really inspired by their dialogue, how she tries recruiting Byleth to the Empire after the first battle.
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading and have a great rest of your week!

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea has been at my mind for a while now and I decided to give it a shot alongside other fics. Can't say for now if that'll mess up uploads, but hey.   
> I know their ages here aren't exactly the same as in the game, since Edelgard was around ten when she was taken to Fhirdiad if I'm not mistaken (and with Byleth being eleven here, that'd make her seven or eight). But in my head it would be nice if they met as children, so there you have it.  
> I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading!


End file.
